This year, two of our iconic bubbles producers – Champagne crafters Charles Heidsieck, and British sparkling makers Nyetimber – are seeing some of their earliest ever harvests after an intense season of heatwaves and drought.
In France, Charles Heidsieck's 2026 harvest was shaped by these aforementioned extreme heatwaves and severe drought, resulting in an unprecedented start on August 14. With the heat and sugar levels rising very quickly, the House had a narrow harvest window. This year’s exceptional conditions gave rare concentration in grapes, so the timing of picking is crucial.
As shared by Émilien Érard, Cellar Master of Charles Heidsieck, the vines have shown "remarkable resilience" despite the heat and months without rainfall. The vines drew deep into their root system for water reserves. By closely managing the harvest window and leveraging their traditional cellar craftsmanship (including targeted barrel vinification) the House can capture the unique, concentrated aromatic profile while preserving the rich texture and balance characteristic of the Charles Heidsieck style.
Elsewhere in England, Nyetimber, pioneer of English sparkling wine, is predicting a consecutive top-quality vintage this year, with its earliest ever harvest beginning in mid-September; several weeks before the average harvest start date.
The team shared that the warmer weather this year actually bodes very well for the quality of the 2026 harvest. Throughout the hot UK summer – with July being the hottest month on record – Nyetimber’s grapevines have been resilient, allowing the team to harvest at optimum ripeness levels.
Nyetimber Head Winemaker, Cherie Spriggs shared: “The long, hot summer has brought excellent growing conditions across our vineyards. We are hopeful that favourable weather continues in these final weeks, so this vintage can reach its full potential.”