by Sophie Kevany
 
Harvesting in the Champagne area of France began on 12 September, with the expectation that 2008 yields will be lower than last year, due in part to lower Chardonnay volumes.
“The particularity about this year is that harvesting has started in the west of the Champagne area, in Charly sur Marne and Saulchery, and with the Pinot Meunier grapes,” said Daniel Lorson of the Champagne Board (Comité Interprofessionel du vin de champagne, CIVC).

Lorson said overall yields are expected to be lower than 2007, a bumper harvest, which produced 338m bottles of champagne, 5% more than the 321m bottles produced in 2006.

Champagne is made using three grapes - Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – with blends differing from producer to producer.

“Usually harvesting starts in the south with the Chardonnay,” Lorson said, adding that the forecast this year was for more Pinot Noir, and less Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.

In other reports from the region, Champagne houses have expressed concern about lower Chardonnay yields, which they say could be down about 10% on last year.

Lorson said it was far too soon to tell if Chardonnay would be down 10% or not, adding that only 28% of the region is currently planted with this variety.

Veronique Lamotte from Taittinger agreed. “The Chardonnay will be a little less generous than last year, but that was a bumper crop. What we really need now is some heat. This morning it was one degree in the Aube,” she said.

Asked about the state of the vineyards, after what Lorson described as a 'not too wet’ growing season, he said they were in good condition with mildew well under control. This year, he added, it was odium, a type of fungus – which Chardonnay is known to be sensitive to - that was more of a problem.

Lorson said about 33,000 hectares are currently under production in Champagne, around 12 hectares more than last year. It is the only area left in France that exclusively harvested by hand.