Many grapes and 10.800 kg/ha for champagne

Since May the vineyards in Champagne have had amazingly amount of sun and a bit of rain now and then.

That's just about perfect.

Many many grapes
Subseqvently, we counted as many as 35 grapes on one plant yesterday.

That's a lot, when you are used to 10-12.

However, it will not mean three times more champagne for you.

An average amount of bottles
In a AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controlée) like champagne, the yields are controlled and subsequently we will be allowed to make champagne with the equivalent of 10.800 kilos per hectare.

For our tiny brand this corresponds to the 9.000 bottles of an average year.

The amount of grapes allowed straight into the elaboration of champagne is decided by teh champagne houses and the winegrowers together.

New reserves
We can pick another 4.700 kg/ha to renew our reserves, and as the quality is promising, we expect to do so right now.

What we do not yet know is the dates of the grapeharvest.

Early harvest
These will be decided by the same body but based on what winegrowers measure in their plots in each village.

This is too early yet.

But what seems obvious is, that 2018 has been an early year since May without ever slowing down. The grapeharvest will be early too

We will be around for preparations by mid August.