Deluge leaves french wine harvest at risk of ruin from milde

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

Deluge leaves French wine harvest at risk of ruin from mildew attack
24 Jul 07 - Sixty days and nights of almost incessant rain threaten to ruin large
parts of the French wine harvest this year, especially in Bordeaux.
Some small vineyards have already lost their entire crop to a form of mildew, a
fungal parasite which thrives in damp and warm conditions.

Other forms of mildew, including the dreaded potato blight, are threatening to
destroy other crops in France, ranging from tomatoes to cherries.

Bordeaux, where the rain has hardly paused since early May, is the worst afflicted
region. Problems have also been reported in Champagne, Beaujolais, the Loire
and the Rhôône valley.