Paris — Grape-pickers in the vineyards of France’s wine region have endured sweltering temperatures to complete the harvest. Due to the summer’s string of heat waves, the harvest has been brought forward. Mid-August was a record-breaking two weeks earlier than usual for the white wine growers of Bordeaux to begin harvesting grapes.
Bordeaux’s growers report that this year’s grapes are small due to record-breaking temperatures over most of Europe; yet, the heat also makes the grapes sweeter and increases their alcohol level.
In Burgundy, the harvest was also brought early, although many days of rain just prior to the start of the harvest increased the crop and ensured its quality and quantity.
On August 23, 2022, a farmer picks grapes from a vineyard in Nice, France. Serge Haouzi/Xinhua/Getty
Producers in the Champagne area have been closely monitoring the weather. They have been trying to make up for the low harvest of the previous year.
They were concerned, along with the majority of France, as the spring brought weeks of torrential rainfall. This nonetheless protected the vines from the scorching summer heat. Now, with another round of last-minute rain just prior to harvest, farmers are optimistic that they will easily reach and even exceed their targets, anticipating that this year’s harvest will be the largest in 15 years.
Due to the early harvests, growers have had to cast a wide net for grape-pickers. Traditionally, this is a job for seasonal workers, the majority of whom are employed elsewhere and cannot quit two weeks early.
A French gendarme speaks with a worker as he patrols roads between champagne grapes on August 25, 2022 in Bethon, northern France. FRANCOIS
The state employment agency, Pole Emploi, is not typically active in late summer, but this year it has actively alerted job applicants to openings in vineyards around the nation.
Some wine producer organizations have even appealed to local students and retirees to come work in the vineyards, as the rush to harvest the grapes has reached a fever pitch.