Vines burn in southern France

As I write in the western Languedoc on Sunday 4 August, I am desperate to write this before the temperature reaches the forecast peak of 37 °C (98.6 °F). With any luck, the high temperatures of July and August will be less dangerous for the vines here than those at the end of June when the vine growth was much less advanced. It was notable that Gavin Quinney didn't mention sunburn as a problem in his recent mid-season report on Bordeaux 2019, but several Champagne growers reported considerable losses last week as their grapes shrivelled in record temperatures of 42.2 °C (108 °F)...