PARIS (AFP) — France is bracing for one of its smallest grape harvests in 20 years, hit by a summer of storms and plant diseases brought on by wet weather, the national winegrowers' office said Tuesday.
National production is expected to plunge seven percent compared to 2006, reaching 49.1 million hectolitres (1.3 billion US gallons), the French national office of fruit, wine and horticulture, VINIFLHOR, said.
The 2007 harvest is set to fall 3.8 million hectolitres short of its average over the last five years, to its worst level since the devastating European heatwave of 2003.
A string of storms and rainy periods disturbed the process of flower and fruit formation, while all French vineyards reported outbreaks of mildew and millerandage, when grapes in a bunch mature at different rates, the office said.
It noted the poor French harvest was part of a trend across southern Europe, with drops in grape production also predicted in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece. Only central European countries are expecting grape volumes to rise.
Grape harvesting kicked off late last month in most French regions, and is set to continue through September.
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