French vineyards devastated by changing climate reportedly expect to lose up to 50% of their crops this year

• Subzero temperatures and a record cold frost to hit French wine-producing regions in April.
• The drop in temperatures could cause losses of up to 50% for this years harvest, according to CNN.
• According to data from Nielsen, wine sale are down 13.1% compared to 2020.

A record cold frost hit France last month, leaving 80% of the country's crops vulnerable to disaster according to CNN. "This is expected to cause a yield loss ranging from 25% to up to 50% in some regions," the European Committee of Wine Companies told CNN.

Subzero temperatures lasted for three days in the beginning of April, according to France 24, as the temperatures reached a record low of 23 degrees.

Farmers in parts of the region were seen lighting candles and small fires in an attempt to save their crops from complete desolation, as CNN reported.

What made the frost even more devastating for farmers was the unusually high temperatures seen in the month prior which caused the crops to bloom early.

"It's when they begin to grow that they are more fragile," Ann Colombo, president the AOC Cornas syndicate, part of the wine-making village of Cornas in the Rhone region, told CNN. She added that vineyards have had to move harvests up nearly a whole month - from the end to the beginning of September - over the past two decades due to climate change.

The unseasonably cold weather has not been the only challenge for the viticulture industry.

The coronavirus pandemic forced wineries to close down all vineyard tours and wine tastings for the year. The European Committee of Wine Companies issued COVID-19 relief to help wine companies bare the brunt of the coronavirus, providing access to financial assistance and other tools to help rebuild the market. French wine exports were subjected to higher tariffs under former President Donald Trump, proving to be another hurdle for an already hard-hit industry.

According to data provided to Insider by Nielsen, wine sales for 2021 are down 13.1% compared to 2020. Although overall wine sales appear to be low, consumer interest in rosé has been booming, with even big-box retailer Costco getting in on the trend.