Early Grape Harvest in France After Heatwave
Listen to the story
French wine makers are picking grapes early this year. A big heatwave made the grapes ready faster. This is happening in a region called Beaujolais.
The picking of grapes is called the harvest. Workers usually start the harvest in September. But this year, some started in August.
One farm, called Domaine Lelais, started picking on August 18. The farm workers said they did not expect to start so soon.
In another region called Alsace, many people want to help with the harvest. A special office gets 500 calls every week from people who want to work.
Hot weather makes grapes grow faster. This means the harvest must start earlier. Farmers say the weather is changing the normal time for picking grapes.
This early harvest shows how heat affects farming. Many farmers across France are watching the weather closely this year.
Vocabulary5 words
- heatwave
- many days of very hot weather
- harvest
- the time when farmers pick fruit or vegetables that are ready
- vineyard
- a farm where grapes grow
- region
- a part of a country
- grapes
- small round fruits used to make wine
Quiz
Answer key
1. Because of a heatwave 2. August 18 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
French wine makers are picking _____ early this year. A big _____ made the grapes ready faster. This is happening in a region called _____.
The picking of grapes is called the _____. Workers usually start the harvest in _____. But this year, some started in _____.
One farm, called Domaine Lelais, started picking on August _____. The farm workers said they did not expect to start so _____.
In another region called Alsace, many people want to help with the harvest. A special office gets _____ calls every week from people who want to work.