Despite massive infection problems and hailstorms in some regions, the wine harvest in France will be about 27 percent higher than in 2017, according to the French agricultural authority Agreste. According to the estimates, the harvest will be between 46 and 48 million hectolitres. This is about seven percent more than the average of the past five years.
The biggest problem this year is powdery mildew, which occurs in regions such as Bordelais and in the south of France, sometimes on a massive scale. In addition, hailstorms, for example in Burgundy, have caused considerable damage. In Bordelais, 7,500 hectares were affected. The start of the harvest in France is one of the earliest in recent decades. In Burgundy, about eleven percent of the vineyards were affected by infections.
(uka)