Depending on location, the harvest in the wine region will begin this year between August 8 and 22, says David Chatillon, one of two chairmen of the industry organisation Comité Champagne.
It is the earliest harvest start to date, and this is because the summer heat has accelerated the ripening of the grapes, according to Chatillon.
The trend has been going on for a while. Harvest time has been coming earlier and earlier in the year since the 1980s, in line with global warming. The grapes are now picked about two weeks earlier than 20 years ago.
Chatillon also says that "the quality looks good" for this year's harvest.
Perhaps it can be seen as a glimmer of hope for the hard-pressed producers who are facing another tough year. For the fourth year in a row, sales volumes are shrinking in the wake of geopolitical unrest and increased climate risks.
It's not just heat and drought that are threatening.
Spring frosts destroyed nearly 40 percent of the buds in the vineyards, prompting the French Ministry of Agriculture to temporarily raise the ceiling on how much grapes wineries can buy from other players, from 5 to 15 percent.
