In July every year, the houses and growers in Champagne agree on the year’s harvest yield. A curious regulation in this region. In 2021, it will be 10,000 kilos per hectare (approx. 64 hl/ha). The harvest is expected to begin in the second week of September.
However, given all the weather problems that have been so far (frost, rain, downy mildew), not all growers will be able to harvest 10,000 kilos.
Perhaps some now regret the low yield limit last year. That year gave excellent quality and abundant grapes, but yields were kept low since the producers wanted to restrict the supply on a weak market.
It is not yet clear how much of these 10,000 kilos will be harvested this autumn and how much will come from the “réserve individuelle” that the growers can put aside certain years (a type of buffer from previous years when growers have been allowed to harvest over the legal limit; not to be confused with the reserve wines used or blending). Comité Champagne (CIVC) will probably decide this beginning of September.
After last year’s decline in sales, champagne producers are happy about excellent sales during the first quarter of this year.
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