Champagne houses and winegrowers bitterly argue about the 2020 harvest

Champagne growers and estate houses are bitterly arguing about the harvest volume of the 2020 vintage: while the champagne houses want to reduce the production volume by about one third due to the losses caused by the Corona crisis, the winegrowers insist on the already slightly reduced yield of last year of about 10,000 kg per hectare.

At a meeting of the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) in Epernay, the Union des Maisons de Champagne (UMC) and the winegrowers' representatives of the Syndicat Général des Vignerons de la Champagne (SGV) failed to reach an agreement despite bitter discussions.

In just under four weeks, on 20 August 2020, the harvest in Champagne is due to begin. It is two weeks earlier than the long-term average. A further date of 18 August, set by the associations, should bring about a solution.

(uka / Photo: Comité Champagne)