French winemakers will harvest fewer grapes this year than in
2007 because spring frost hurt early buds and some growers
uprooted vines to combat overproduction. The smaller harvest in
France comes at a time when California winemakers believe that
the state's wine grape crop could be 15% smaller than last year.
Total production in France will probably fall about 5% to 1.2
billion gallons, according to Paris-based industry group
Viniflhor. That's "much lower" than the average harvest in the
last five years, Viniflhor said in a statement on its website.
Vineyards in Bordeaux, Provence and other southern regions were
particularly affected after buds that had developed early thanks
to mild winter temperatures froze at the outset of spring.
Bourgogne, Alsace, Champagne and other northern areas were
spared since vines mature later there because of a colder
climate. "The cold that arrived in late March had a direct
impact on some vineyards," Viniflhor said. "From the Bordeaux
region to Provence, the frost wreaked ha