Sweltering summer temperatures look set to spur the earliest Champagne harvest on record and potentially one of the most challenging. The French region's winemakers face lower crop yields, weaker consumer demand and a threat to the iconic drink's famed fresh taste.
The Champagne season officially starts on Aug. 15 this year, with the majority of picking expected between Aug. 20 and 25, around two weeks earlier than usual in recent years. Before the early 2000s, harvesting the grapes of the sparkling wine — which brought in $6.6 billion in sales revenues last year — almost always took place in September or October.
But hotter springs and summers are accelerating the grape-ripening process, creating more sugary fruit and narrowing the optimum picking window for Champagne.
Winemakers are torn between harvesting early to reduce the amount of sugar in the fruit, but risking the ability to achieve the correct balance of acidity and so-called "phenolic ripeness," the point when tannins and other compounds have matured enough to deliver the desired flavor and texture.
