Affected by the dry weather, fruit farmers in Europe are almost forced to harvest grapes early this year, and grape production is expected to decline in 2022.

With experts predicting continued heat and drought will wreak havoc on European vineyards, grape prices are expected to soar 10 percent this year.

July was the hottest month on record in Spain, according to the Spanish Meteorological Agency. Vineyards in Spain are more challenging than in previous years, and while they can withstand the heat, there are limits.

There are pros and cons to high heat, the benefit being that it reduces energy costs and doesn’t require as much pest and mildew treatment. But extreme heat can also cause water shortages in the vines, which can affect the development of the grapes. If the vine loses too many leaves, the fruit will be dehydrated without shelter, the fruit will become smaller, the juice will become less, and the yield will be reduced accordingly. If extreme weather persists, the grapes will be sweet.

To avoid this situation, the harvest time in many producing areas is 2-3 weeks earlier than in previous years. But production is expected to fall by an average of 15%-20%, and in some regions, it could be as much as 25%.

France will be more affected by extreme weather in 2022, especially in the Bordeaux producing area, but there will still be a small increase in total production. French production in 2022 is expected to increase by 13%-21% compared to 2021.

The French Ministry of Agriculture said the 2022 growing season has been brought forward, which means harvesting will also start earlier. Last year, France was affected by frost, which greatly reduced production. This year, it was affected by drought, and the situation was different in different producing areas.

For example, there is very little rainfall in the Alsace production area, and the production in 2022 will be lower than the average of the past five years, especially since the production of Gewurztraminer will be more obvious. Some vineyards in the Pomerol appellation were granted permission to irrigate this year. Vineyards in Burgundy are in good condition and this year's production is expected to be higher than the five-year average.