Poor Weather Reduces Champagne Production

Love your champagne? You might be paying a higher price for that bottle of bubbly this year.

A cold and wet spring plagued the region during spring causing millerandage, a disease that causes grapes to ripen at different rates, reports the New York Daily News. Luckily, an exceedingly hot and dry August has turned the crop around, at least a bit.

While most champagne harvesters will see nearly a 30 percent reduction in their output from last year, there is some hope: the quality of beverage that they do produce should be exceedingly good. However, the reduced volume of champagne will suit the economic climate, as people are buying less expensive drinks because of Europe's current economic difficulties. So far, 2012 has been a poor year for champagne sales. But Thibault Le Mailloux, wine board spokesman, said that they still have hope for a turnaround because 50 percent of champagne sales occur during the latter half of the year.

Champagne growers aren't yet completely certain what this year's crop will look like, though they do expect their harvesting period to extend to at least September 28, a week longer than usual. What will this champagne taste like? Well, those who are eager to buy a bottle of the rarer-than-usual bubbly will just have to wait and see.