Champagne growers face their poorest harvest in decades amid weather and labor woes

Champagne producers are confronting their worst harvest in 70 years, with yields dropping sharply from last year's already weak crop. Vintners such as Chantal Brégeon Gonet of Philippe Gonet describe many vineyards failing to meet the 8.8-tonne per hectare quota, some as low as 1.5 tonnes. Expert Fredrik Schelin attributes the short season to a mild winter that denied vines proper dormancy, early bud break, and subsequent frost that damaged a large share of buds.

Summer heatwaves and drought further stressed the vines, prompting an early start to the harvest on 12 August and a scramble for manual labor. While the dry weather prevented fungal outbreaks and produced grapes with high sugar levels, the berries were small, leading to low overall weight. Producers warn that continued poor harvests could threaten cellar stocks and hope for more balanced weather next year.