The great climate change Champagne race, as grape ripening shrinks from 100 to 80 days: ‘We’ve never seen anything like it’

Champagne producers are racing to pick their grapes as the region’s earliest harvest on record gets underway, after extreme heat and drought accelerated ripening, leaving growers a narrow window to preserve the quality of the region’s world-famous sparkling wine.

On the hillsides of Hautvillers, teams of grape pickers start work at 6:30 a.m. among rows of vines that were recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2015.

For Alexandre Gobillard, production director at the Gobillard & Fils Champagne house, beginning the harvest in mid-August was once almost unthinkable.

“It’s historic in Champagne,” he said.

“I’ve been working at the estate for 30 years, and when I started, my father used to tell me: ‘On Aug.

15, go on vacation.’ Today, it’s Aug.

18 and we’re in full harvest.

We’ve never seen anything like it.” At 50, Gobillard represents the fourth generation to work the family vineyards.

Gobillard & Fils grows 40 hectares (about 100 acres) of vines and produces about 1.5 million bottles a year.

A changing climate brings an earlier harvest Champagne’s official harvest opened between Aug.

12 and Aug.

17 this year, depending on the area and grape variety — roughly a month earlier than what was once common in the region.

A late-March frost hit vines after mild temperatures triggered early budburst, reducing the potential crop.

It was followed by four heat waves, which never happened before, Gobillard said.