Climate change pushes Bordeaux winemakers to harvest at night

Harvesting at night is already a common practice in several winemaking countries with hot summers. Photo: AFP

In France's southern Bordeaux region, the grape harvest is often now done at night to ensure the peak freshness required to obtain the best wine but this is also a response to climate change.

With the country sweltering in a late heatwave, it is 20ºC (68ºF) at five in the morning as a harvester crawls along a row of vines, powerful headlights helping guide its way through the darkness.