Heat puts winegrowers under pressure: Grape harvest in southern France begins earlier and earlier

The pruning shears are being used unusually early this year. As early as the beginning of August, numerous winegrowers in the departments of Aude and Pyrénées-Orientales are starting the grape harvest - a time that would have been considered exceptional just a few decades ago. Today, the early start of the harvest is increasingly becoming the new normal. Persistent high temperatures and a lack of rainfall are responsible, significantly accelerating the ripening process of the grapes. "It becomes more complicated year after year," is the assessment of many winegrowers. In ...