Say it isn't so!
Don't panic, but, a champagne shortage could be on the way. The reason being that the Champagne region, in north-east France where champagne is made, has been majorly affected by rot, frost and mildew which have depleted the levels of grapes in the area.
According to
Decenter, the Côte des Bar region, home to a quarter of the Champagne vineyards, was hit by late frost in spring this year. One winemaker, Jean Pierre Fleury, saw a drop of 70% in his potential harvest as a result.
Later on in the season the area was affected by hailstones which resulted in a mildew problem.
Due to the rot, mildew and lack of grapes there might be a champagne shortage on the way. They are expecting 2,500 to 3,000 kg per hectare, in comparion with the 10,700 kg per hectares which would usually be expect.
A local agronomic agency did some tests on the area and found 99% of vineyards had signs of mildew, with 34% of them having more than 10% loss in yield as a result.
Before we go stocking up or turning to prosecco, some of the local growers and winemakers have some reserves of champagne, which will be used as a supplement where there are major shortages.
It won't be the long term solution but hopefully it will act as a support for the lack of champagne being produced this year.
Here's hoping anyway.
