CNN —A violent hailstorm wreaked havoc on vineyards in Chablis in the famous French wine region of Burgundy Wednesday evening, delivering another weather blow to already hard-hit local Chardonnay winemakers.
The extent of the damage was still unclear as winegrowers checked over their plots on Thursday, a representative for the Burgundy wine association told CNN.
“We’ve never seen anything like this, it’s dramatic,” Julie Fèvre, a winemaker, told BFM.
Some 38 million bottles of Chablis Chardonnay wine are sold every year, generating an estimated $340 million turnover, according to the Burgundy wine association.
Around 67% of Chablis wine is exported to foreign markets, the association said.
Persons:
“ We’ve, Julie Fèvre, BFM, ” Paul, Étienne, we’ve, Vincent Laroche, Marc Fesneau, ”, Chablis, ” Louis Poitout, we’ll, CNN’s Laura Paddison
Organizations:
CNN, Chablis, BFMTV, International Organisation of Vine
Locations:
Chablis, Burgundy, France, “