Winemaker inspecting his vineyard in Montpellier, southern France. (AFP/Sylvain Thomas)

Wine: French Vineyards Hit by Heatwave, Production May Start Falling

Kinanty Nadia Putri
Business & Industry
Foods & Service
Jul 21, 2019
2583
The French agriculture ministry has issued a warning on Saturday (7/20) that the record-breaking heatwave may affect the country’s wine production this year.

At the end of June, France recorded its intense hottest summer-ever that reached the temperature at 45.9 degree Celsius which also fuelled wildfires in some vineyards. The lack of rain has also worsened drought conditions in wine regions of the country where soil moisture levels were below normal.

The unfavorable weather conditions affect the flowering of the vine, particularly in western wine regions including Val de Loire, Charente, Bordelais, and Bordeaux.

Because of the weather woes, the ministry forecasted that wine production in France may fall by as much as 13 percent.

The ministry said that its first estimation of the production for 2019 was in a range between 42.8 million to 46.4 million hectolitres—which 6-13 percent far below the 2018 production of 49.4 million hectolitres and was also 2-5 percent below the average production of the past five years.

A hectoliter represents 100 liters or about 133 standard wine bottles could be produced.

The heatwave has also affected the work of wine farmers in the vineyards. According to a winemaker of brand Champagne AR Lenoble, Antoine Malassagne, the work schedules in the vineyard need to be adjusted to cope with this extreme weather condition as it could damage the health of workers. His team would start very early in the morning before dawn and need to finish before noon when the heat becomes unbearable.

France is one of the top wine producers and exporters along with Spain and Italy. French wine grapes are usually harvested in late summer and early autumn.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/french-wine-production-hit-by-heatwave-11739994

France , Europe , Wine , Business , Beverage , Weather , Climate , Heatwave