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FRANCE IS FACING one of its poorest wine grape harvests in four decades, forecasts showed today, due to a cold and rainy spring and severe hail storms.
The 2013 harvest is expected to reach just 43.5 millions hectolitres — well below the 10-year average of 45.4 million, according forecasts from the FranceAgriMer public agricultural service.
That would make the 2013 harvest one of the worst in 40 years and only a slight improvement on last year’s record low harvest of 41.4 million, according to Jerome Despey, head of FranceAgriMer’s viticulture section.
He said cool temperatures and excessive rains contributed to a particularly poor harvest, while some vineyard owners in famed wine regions like Bordeaux and Burgundy saw their harvests nearly wiped out by severe hail storms.
Despey added that early tests also showed low sugar content.
“Sugar hasn’t developed in the grapes and we’ll have much lower (alcohol) levels than in previous years,” he added.
Forecasts released by the agriculture ministry earlier this month, before devastating storms in Bordeaux, had already predicted France would experience one of the smallest harvests in 40 years in 2013.
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Sean..Respect please
Very sad.
RIP
Maybe from natural causes?
I really hope the poor man died from natural causes. At his age he deserves to have passed peacefully. R.I.P
It is if you live in the area. This is a national news service.
@chris finn,I agree, its a strange report.Elderly people die at home,alone , every day.If there is no criminal aspect to this story then its strange that it is being reported on at all.
Sorry now but asking why a 90 year old mans death is in the news without a reason is not disrespectful to the deceased. The person who asked the question has nothing against the deceased and would be nothing but respectful. Asking why something is in the news without a reason out of curiosity to ensure that we have all the information is categorically not disrespectful.
@teddy if an investigation is required to ascertain nothing untoward has happened or otherwise then the state pathologist will be required. Think about the rumours that’d be doing the rounds if the pathologist turned up and nothing was reported. It’s simply a case of the facts as they are currently known being reported.
Poor man in his 90′s RIP, cowards who ever they are!
have your say