Champagne has become the latest French wine growing region to feel the wrath of the heavens after freakishly violent hail storms wiped out the equivalent of eight million bottles of grapes and roughly €125 million (£110m) of fizz.

The extent of the damage emerged barely a week after hailstones “the size of pigeons’ eggs” devastated thousands of acres of prime vineyards in Bordeaux, prompting the French government to promise support for winegrowers, some of whom have lost their entire crop.

The northeastern Champagne region was struck by four particularly heavy hailstorms in late April and May just as the vines were beginning to flower. The latest struck on May 27, and more violent storms were forecast overnight.

"So far 1,800 hectares (4,500 acres) have been damaged of which 1,000 have been 100 percent destroyed, representing three percent of the total champagne-growing area," said the industry's Champagne Committee.