Frosts linger on in champagne

Press, 19 September 1985, Page 17

Frosts linger on in champagne

NZPA-Reuter Paris The summer sun may have melted most memories of this year’s biting frosts, but they linger on in champagne. The champagne trade association (C.1.V.C.) estimates this year’s production of bubbly at 100 million bottles, down nearly a half from 190 million in 1984. About 10 per cent of the vineyards in the strictly defined champagne area of eastern France were destroyed by the severe winter and spring frosts, according to the C.I.V.C.’s Andre Enders. So widespread was the damage that growers asked the Agricultural Ministry to declare their region a disaster area. Mr Enders said they took pride in solving their own problems, but that the cost of repairing the damage this time was too high. Although no decision has been taken yet, a Farm

Ministry source says it seems likely the growers will receive some aid. It is still too early to gauge the quality of this year’s champagne. The grapes will probably not be ready for picking until early October. Such late harvests are usually good for only non-vintage wine, but Mr Enders says there are exceptions. The small 1978 crop produced wine of a very interesting quality. Exports should not suffer too much from this year’s exceptionally small output. Producers have built up stocks from bumper harvests in the last three years, and more than 600 million bottles are maturing in the cellars. But Mr Enders says prices are likely to rise after staying reasonably static for a number of years.

Champagne exports are doing well this year. In the first six months of

1985, 29.4 million bottles were exported, a rise of 22.5 per cent on the same 1984 period. Britain was the largest importer, taking seven million bottles, 48 per cent more than in the first half of 1984. In spite of the severe winter weather, other French wine-growers look set to enjoy, a good year, both in quality and quantity. The French wine industry association says the grapes are in good condition after growing quickly. The harvest in the south of France has just started, but picking in the other main regions will take a few weeks to get under way. Output of the higher quality A.O.C. (Appellations d’Origine Controiee) and V.D.Q.S. (Vins Delimites de Quality Superieure) ’wines is forecast to rise 3.1 per cent to 2.34 billion bottles, with table wine output falling 3.8 per cent to 5.49 billion bottles.