Yesterday in France's northeastern corner, the very first grapes destined to become champage were picked. This year's is one of the earliest French wine harvests on record - two to three weeks ahead of the typical harvest time. The year has been a tough one for French vineyards - poor weather and mildew have no doubt affected the yield.

From The Independant:

French growers - and the French government - hope that the combined effect will be an easing of the overproduction "crisis" and an increase in the wholesale prices of table wines for the first time in a decade. Philippe Janvier, of the French wine, fruit and vegetable trade organisation, Vinifhlor, said: "If we see a continuing increase in demand for table wines, as we did last year, we may see prices go up at last."

In some parts of Languedoc, the first grapes were picked three weeks ago. Harvesting began in Provence on Monday and will extend to Beaujolais and the Rhône Valley by the weekend and white grapes in Bordeaux by the end of the month. In Champagne, which always starts ahead of some more southerly areas, the vendanges are said to be the earliest for a century, apart from the heat-wave year of 2003.

Nevertheless, everything I read claims that the resulting wine from grapes picked in 2007 will be very good. Time will tell.