Producers worry 15pc alcohol content will put buyers off
Champagne from this summer may leave you with a worse hangover and a lingering headache as record heatwaves have forced some producers to increase their alcohol content.
The scorching summer in France may now result in the strongest Champagne in the region’s history, with the level increased to 15pc.
Champagne houses are usually under strict guidance to limit the bubbly drink to 13pc, but the country’s National Origin and Quality Institute has authorised the one-off exemption.
Due to climate change, “this unusual harvest will probably become the norm in 10 to 15 years”, said Maxime Toubart, the co-chair of the Comite Champagne.
It “should prompt reflection on the Champagne of tomorrow”, he said.
France recorded its hottest summer yet this year, as scientists say human-made climate change makes extreme weather events more intense and more frequent and Europe experiences the fastest warming of any continent.
Other producers have expressed concern that the high alcohol content may be off-putting for buyers, with a push in recent years towards increasingly low-alcohol wines.
Didier Gimonnet, a third-generation producer in Cuis, told The Times: “It undermines the image of champagne. The idea of Champagne at 14 or 15pc will put a lot of people off.
“The vast majority of champagne makers will solve the problem by blending grapes from different years to bring it down. Champagne is always an assemblage – a blend – and an intelligent, balanced combination will sort this out.”
Champagne is set to be stronger as a result of grapes being left unusually rich with sugar as a result of drought and months of high heat. During fermentation, yeast converts sugar into alcohol.
However, professionals have said that only a few producers will be affected, with Stephane Vignon, who is based in the Verzenay region, saying it would be possible to mix a 15pc batch with an 11pc from a previous year to moderate the alcohol content.
“The average after the harvest is below 12pc,” co-chair of Comite Champagne David Chatillon said. “Not all winegrowers in Champagne will be above that level.”
The affected bottles are also unlikely to hit shelves until 2028, as Champagne requires at least 15 months to ferment.
Authorities have also allowed a temporary easing of strict rules for several types of cheeses after the high temperatures scorched grazing pastures.