Champagne is bracing for its earliest harvest on record, officially starting August 15 with the majority of picking expected between August 20 and 25, around two weeks earlier than recent years. Winemakers face lower crop yields, weaker demand and a threat to the sparkling wine’s famed fresh taste, which generated 6.6 billion dollars in sales last year. European producers are grappling with drought, spring hailstorms, frost and wildfires, alongside declining alcoholic drink consumption, rising labor and fuel costs, and U.S. tariffs. Some are adapting by testing new grape varieties, developing cluster protection techniques or moving vineyards further north, a trend that is also benefiting British producers.
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