Grape harvests in the main European winemaking regions, such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, may be brought in earlier than they been at any time in the last 200 years.

According to The Drinks Business, a warm, dry spring season has left most winemaking areas far ahead of their usual development stage at this time of year.

Meteorological studies showed that for many regions of mainland Europe, the spring was the hottest since the start of the 20th century.

The March-May water deficit was also 55 per cent - the highest since the 46 per cent recorded in 1976.

According to the publication, many winemakers are now cutting short their summer schedules to avoid a repeat of the 2003 harvest.

Eight years ago, a similar period of extreme heat and dry conditions led to a rapid period of growth that led to extreme over-ripeness for many grapes.

Champagne is now looking at a provisional Harvest start date of August 20th - the earliest in 189 years.

It was recently reported that vignerons in the Loire, Bordeaux and Burgundy are also planning early harvests, while the Douro has also endured dry spells.

However, there are positive aspects to the periods of dry weather that have been experienced across the continent.

The Drinks Business reports that the lack of dampness and humidity means that most crops are healthy, free from rot and mildew.

In addition, harvest times are subject to constant revision. Newspaper The Connexion, suggests that weather data for July indicates that the month was, conversely, the coldest in 30 years, which may apply some retardation to the growing process.

Whenever growers in Bordeaux choose to harvest, you can be sure that no expense has been spared in establishing the perfect time to pick the grapes.

The Daily Telegraph recently reported that top Bordeaux estates are using satellite technology to photograph their crops, measuring the variation of leaf canopy growth across the whole estate.

These pictures can then be used to establish the most effective time to harvest.