Hail destroys 300 hectares in Champagne

The hailstorms that ripped through France last weekend destroyed 300 hectares of vines in the Champagne region, it has been confirmed.

According to the Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC), the storms passed over 3,000 hectares of Champagne’s 34,207-hectare planted surface area.

“We can confirm that 300 hectares of this planted surface were severely damaged in the storms,” the report said.

The villages around Epernay and the Côte des Blancs were worst hit by the storms, with around 30% of the vineyards in Mancy and Hautvillers damaged.

The Wine Spectator reports that Louis Roederer has lost up to 20% of its crop in Cramant, Chouilly and part of Avize due to the storms,….