French vignerons ask government for insurance against bad harvests
Independent winegrowers across France are calling on the government to underwrite an insurance scheme to protect them from the effects of bad harvests or currency fluctuations.
Independent winegrowers across France are calling on the government to underwrite an insurance scheme to protect them from the effects of bad harvests or currency fluctuations.
The majority of white grapes in the 2012 Bordeaux harvest have been brought safely in to the cellars under warm and sunny conditions, but the forecast for the week ahead is rain, complicating decisions over when to bring in the red grapes.
The Cru Bourgeois Alliance is planning to introduce two or three new levels into its annual listing – possibly for the 2012 vintage.
The Bordeaux 2012 harvest will be several weeks later than in recent years – and France's overall harvest will be the smallest since 1991, according to the agriculture minister.