Champagne Harvest

The Harvest in the five regions of the AOC Champagne started on the 10th September, almost one week later than last year.

This date is individually defined for all 320 communities and for all three grape species every year. This Champagne year will offer a high quality but maybe it is one with a smaller harvest amount.

The start of 2016 proved particularly challenging in the Champagne vineyards.

In late April, frosts hit almost a quarter of the Champagne appellation area and the buds were completely destroyed across 14% of the vineyard. In spring, rain, hail showers and storms followed hot on the heels of each other and in some areas rainfall was to two to three times higher than the average recorded for the past 20 years. The blossoming ended in late June, some ten or so days late. The vines have been damaged: the impact of the frosts and outbreaks of mildew should affect the volume available.

For the 2016 harvest of 10,800 kilos/hectare of which 9,700 kilos/hectare are to be harvested and 1,100 kilos/hectare will be taken from the Champagne reserve on 1 February 2017.