Each year, the ‘harvest ban’ authorizes the start of the harvest. This administrative date is an old feudal right granted to the lord who announced the start of the harvest. Today, this ‘ban’ is a prefectural decree setting the official date for the first day of the harvest. Its objective is to preserve the quality of the wines by starting the harvest when the grapes are fully ripe. In principle, the harvest takes place 100 days after flowering. The date is set in each department on the advice of producer organizations after sampling and maturity checks. In France, harvests can be spread from late August to early October depending on the region.