Champagne harvest: why picking begins as early as mid-August

Published on

20/08/2026 - 12:04 GMT+2

In Champagne, the calendar seems to have gone into overdrive. On the hillsides of Hautvillers, grape-pickers are already hard at work even though August is not yet over. This year, the first picking officially started between 12 and 17 August, depending on the area and the grape variety. An exceptionally early start that speaks volumes about how the climate is changing in the region.

For Alexandre Gobillard, production director at the Gobillard & Fils house, harvesting this early was once unthinkable.

"I've been working on the estate for 30 years, and when I started my father always used to say: 'On 15 August, go on holiday.' Today it's 18 August and we're in the middle of the harvest. We've never seen anything like it." he explains.