Remon Haazen photographer, Champagne Galore

Full article text is available

During the last weeks of August, France’s Champagne region sees a frenzy of thousands of season workers eager to pick the grapevines clean to produce the delicate festive drink that is known around the world as champagne. There is a slightly bitter taste to the beverage this year. Heavily impacted by the COVID-19 virus implications, the champagne industry is counting the costs.

The 16,000 winegrowers are not allowed to harvest more than 8,000 kilos per hectare, the lowest maximum in 35 years. Vazart is not satisfied with it. "It's a huge setback, a quarter less income. This really has to remain a very big exception, otherwise we will soon no longer be profitable. " It is a tough measure, agrees Le Mailloux in the splendid Art Deco-style office of the Committee in the champagne capital of Épernay. "But it is necessary, otherwise there is a risk of overproduction."

Fields full of grapes are waiting to be picked to make champagne in Rilly la Montagne in France's Champagne region

A truck carrying picked grapes for the Moet champagne makes its way through the streets of Epernay in France's Champagne region.

Picked grapes are tightly surveyed as time of harvest, team of pickers and many other criteria are displayed on each crate of grapes

Workers of the Vazart-Coquart & fils Champagne brand pour freshly picked grapes into vats to be pressed in Chouilly.

Freshly picked grapes waiting to be pressed in Chouilly.

Jean-Pierre Vazart in his production hall in Chouilly.

Workers of the Vazart-Coquart & fils Champagne brand take out the residu pulp from pressed grapes into bins. The residu will be used to make hand sanitising gel for the pharmaceutical industry.

The cellar of the Vazart-Coquart champagne house in Chouilly

The cellar of the Vazart-Coquart & fils champagne house in Chouilly

Thibaut le Mailloux, communication director of the 'Comité Interprofessionnel Du Vin De Champagne', in the building of the organisation in Epernay.

Thibaut le Mailloux, communication director of the 'Comité Interprofessionnel Du Vin De Champagne', stands in the testing room where champagne is evaluated and rated in the building of the organisation in Epernay.