The harvest in the Champagne vineyards began this weekend in the Aube, but most of the appellation’s municipalities will start harvesting the grapes from Thursday for a year that promises to be a “record” in volume, the winery announced this Sunday. Champagne Committee.
If the first mower blows have already been struck in Montgueux (Aube), harvests will begin for most of the appellation’s 319 communes from September 7, said David Chatillon, president of the Union of champagne houses and co-president of the Champagne Committee.
The authorized harvest start dates are set for each commune and each grape variety (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier) and this year it extends until September 16.
Towards a record year?
This vintage “is announced in terms of absolutely record volumes”, with a bunch weight “never reached” of around “220 grams” compared to the “175 grams” of the previous record of 2005, detailed David Chatillon.
Qualitatively, “with the weather at the beginning of August we have seen some outbreaks of botrytis appear which we are following closely”, but “at the moment it is not exploding” and “the weather these days, which promises to be very beautiful, is ideal, it will allow dry out these centers of rottenness”.
Winegrowers and champagne houses have decided to set the marketable yield of the 2023 vintage at 11,400 kilos per hectare.
After an already excellent year in 2021, driven by the reopening of bars and restaurants after the Covid-19 pandemic, the prestigious drink confirmed its rebound in 2022, with 325.5 million bottles sold (+1.6%), the largest volume in 15 years. according to the annual report of the Interprofessional Committee of Champagne Wine (CIVC).
Source: BFM TV
