Living in northern California, I have enjoyed one of the nicest summers I have ever had anywhere.  It's been spectacular.  Of course, climate instability can be a very bad thing - next year it could be heat winds like vorpal blades, dogs and cats living together...real mass hysteria.  But this year was pretty good, since I did not live in the southern or eastern US.

The Champagne region of France is also loving life.  They say climatic shift has made their lives easier and their Champagne better. Recently, the Champagne harvest ran from mid-September to early October, but it has progressively crept earlier, late August through mid-September.

But in 2011, the first grapes were plucked from the vine on August 19th - the earliest in almost two centuries.


Warmer summers mean better French bubbly, but the future is uncertain by Ben Barnier, GlobalPost.com