Harvesting was set to start Tuesday in the Burgundy area and on August 29 in the Champagne region east of Paris.

Temperatures soared to around 40 degrees Celsius (104 degree Fahrenheit) in the first two weeks of August, prompting early harvesting to begin in the south of France and the Bordeaux region earlier this month.

Harvesters were scheduled to go to work Monday in some vineyards of the Cotes du Rhone district, two weeks ahead of last year's commencement date. Growers expect a good year.

The latest dates for proclamation of the harvesting were set Monday at a meeting in Burgundy of winegrowers and distributors.

The grape has reached early maturity because of high temperatures averaging 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in the first 10 days of August, 9.5 degrees Celsius higher than the average over the last 30 years. Winegrowers now fear a drop in acidity, damaging the quality.

The first French harvesters this season began work on August 7 at Rivesaltes in the south of France, home of white muscat wine.

Work began there a week ahead of schedule after the grape reached a maturity of 13.5 degrees of sugar much earlier than usual due to intense sun.

But heat and sun have strongly beneficial effects on the grape, and 2003 promises to be a classic for French wines, say experts.

Dry conditions also favour the concentration of grape juice, thereby enhancing its taste through reduction of water volume. A slight breeze has meanwhile contributed to keeping the grape in good condition.

The Champagne harvest starting on August 29 is two weeks ahead of the usual date.

The Bordeaux harvest in southwestern France began August 12 at Chateau de L'Hospital, with the gathering of the white grape. This is the earliest harvest there since 1893.

"Last year we began harvesting on September 10, but this year we were caught out by the early maturity of our gray sauvignon vine," said a staff member.

In the Jura district of eastern France harvesters set to work Thursday nearly a month ahead of their usual schedule.

It was the first time since 1822 that grapes have been harvested in the Jura before August 15.

Also on Thursday French Agriculture Minister Herve Gaymard said he was seeking to boost hiring of seasonal labour in the winegrowing sector. Currently some 330,000 of them are employed in France.

A row over government handling of the deadly heatwave claimed its first official scalp Monday when France's surgeon-general resigned after the health minister admitted it was "plausible" the death toll could hit 5,000.

Lucien Abenheim, the general director for health, told Health Minister Jean-Francois Mattei in a letter that he was tendering his resignation "given the present controversies surrounding the handling of the epidemic (of deaths) linked to the heatwave."

TERRA.WIRE