We recently got back from Austria and of course we were wondering how the vineyards had coped with the huge amounts of rain that came around the 20th of September. ”We will have one of
In France, the harvest and fermentation are in full swing. In many (most) places the harvest is finished. The weather has caused problems in many regions, and the Ministry of Agriculture estimates that the harvest
After three years of intense and persistent drought, it finally rained in the Cava vineyards in the heart of Penedès in Spanish Catalonia. A long-awaited rain fell this spring and allowed the vines to recover.
In the middle of March, warm temperatures hit France, meaning the growing season started early in the vineyards. In some places, the budding began as early as the third week of March (e.g. cabernet franc
The Southern Hemisphere is in full swing with the 2024 harvest—or they have already finished. We visited South Africa in mid-February, and some producers had already almost finished. Andrew Wightman at Wightman & Sons in
In several European wine regions, fungal diseases in the vineyard have been a major problem this summer. Severe attacks by, not least, downy mildew can be difficult to manage with only organic spraying (i.e. copper).
Perhaps this year, the growers in Roussillon in the southwest of France will have their lowest harvest yield ever. There has not been much rain this year, not even 200 mm. And last year was
Is the region of Roussillon in the south of France starting to look like a desert? Not far from it. In the Côtes du Roussillon-Villages Les Aspres, not far from Perpignan, they have had not
A wine grower always keeps an eye on the weather report. As we now enter the month of May, you would think that the risk of spring frost is over for the winegrowers in France.
Europe had a few freezing weeks in December, including Germany. This chilly weather has enabled some growers to make Eiswein (ice wine) finally again. It has been a long time. On December 11, 12 and
Frost nights in the spring when the tiny buds have begun to appear are a recurring scourge for many winegrowers. Arnaud Thomassin at Château de France in Pessac-Léognan, a producer we have followed for many
This spring’s wine tours have taken us to Champagne, Chablis and Burgundy, among other places. And here we already saw, around the 20th of May, the beginning of the flowering, which is unusually early. It
Say Andalusia and I’ll start thinking about olive trees. There are an estimated 70 million olive trees in Andalusia on just less than two million hectares. On a recent trip between Malaga and Cordoba, it
The frost has hit French vineyards again this year. So far, however, it has not been as bad as 2021. But in several places, measures have been required to heat the vineyards in some way
Institut rhodanien, a research institute in the Rhône valley, has carried out a comprehensive study of how the various maturation parameters of grenache have changed since 1969. These include changes in the acidity level and
France’s vibrant café and restaurant life has begun to return to normal. The outdoor cafes opened on May 19, and on June 9, we are also allowed to sit inside. The French are happy. According
How noticeable is climate change in the vineyard? The consequences are already visible and are positive for the quality of the must, says the producer association Comité Champagne (CIVC). In Champagne, for the past 30
Wine producers in France and other parts of Europe were hit hard by several cold nights in April with temperatures far below zero. The warm temperatures earlier this spring had led to early budding in
Philippe Bernard at Clos Saint Louis in Fixin in the Côte de Nuits has sent a greeting and some information about how the vine is on the brink of a new growing season. “2021 has
Wild fires in California are now more or less recurring annually. This year they have started unusually early. The winemakers had just started harvesting their grapes. Are the grapes at risk of being damaged by
It has been an extremely warm and dry spring in some parts of France, especially the northern and north-eastern parts. We asked Philippe Bernard at Clos Saint Louis in Fixin (Côte de Nuits) how the
Bordeaux was hit by violent hailstorms on April 17. In Saint Emilion, Château Bernateau – that we were supposed to visit the day after on our Bordeaux spring tour, if everything had been normal –
The harvest in Champagne was in full swing when we kicked off our autumn wine tour season with Champagne on September 11. And we mostly saw happy faces. Alexandre Penet at Champagne Penet-Chardonnet in Verzy
Hail storms can be violent and the 20-minute storm that affected Crozes-Hermitage and part of Saint Joseph on June 15 was exceptionally violent. Some winegrowers saw their future harvest reduced by at least 50%. The
During flowering, the winegrower looks anxiously at the weather forecast. The flowering takes place, depending on the region, from the end of May until the end of June. This year it was early in some
The spring frost has struck again in several places in France. Warm spring weather led to an early budding but then the weather changed again, as it usually does. In the Loire Valley, they are
If drought is a recurring feature of the weather, then the wine growers become experts in handling it. This is the case, for example, in South Africa. Here they have learned how to optimize irrigation
The unpredictable weather and the importance of water The weather is unpredictable and even more so right now it seems. Admittedly, it is said that farmers (and wine growers are just that) always complain about
Heavy rain and floods of a rare violence in the department of Aude In Languedoc in mid-October caused major damage to vineyards and wineries, in particular in the Minervois and Cabardes appellations and, to a
It’s winter in South Africa and it’s raining, at last. A relief, but more rain is needed, says DP Burger, winemaker at Glenwood in Franschhoek, and others we have heard from. The draught in Western
We recently got back from Austria and of course we were wondering how the vineyards had coped with the huge amounts of rain that came
In France, the harvest and fermentation are in full swing. In many (most) places the harvest is finished. The weather has caused problems in many
After three years of intense and persistent drought, it finally rained in the Cava vineyards in the heart of Penedès in Spanish Catalonia. A long-awaited
In the middle of March, warm temperatures hit France, meaning the growing season started early in the vineyards. In some places, the budding began as
The Southern Hemisphere is in full swing with the 2024 harvest—or they have already finished. We visited South Africa in mid-February, and some producers had
In several European wine regions, fungal diseases in the vineyard have been a major problem this summer. Severe attacks by, not least, downy mildew can
Perhaps this year, the growers in Roussillon in the southwest of France will have their lowest harvest yield ever. There has not been much rain
Is the region of Roussillon in the south of France starting to look like a desert? Not far from it. In the Côtes du Roussillon-Villages
A wine grower always keeps an eye on the weather report. As we now enter the month of May, you would think that the risk
Europe had a few freezing weeks in December, including Germany. This chilly weather has enabled some growers to make Eiswein (ice wine) finally again. It
Frost nights in the spring when the tiny buds have begun to appear are a recurring scourge for many winegrowers. Arnaud Thomassin at Château de
This spring’s wine tours have taken us to Champagne, Chablis and Burgundy, among other places. And here we already saw, around the 20th of May,
Say Andalusia and I’ll start thinking about olive trees. There are an estimated 70 million olive trees in Andalusia on just less than two million
The frost has hit French vineyards again this year. So far, however, it has not been as bad as 2021. But in several places, measures
Institut rhodanien, a research institute in the Rhône valley, has carried out a comprehensive study of how the various maturation parameters of grenache have changed
France’s vibrant café and restaurant life has begun to return to normal. The outdoor cafes opened on May 19, and on June 9, we are
How noticeable is climate change in the vineyard? The consequences are already visible and are positive for the quality of the must, says the producer
Wine producers in France and other parts of Europe were hit hard by several cold nights in April with temperatures far below zero. The warm
Philippe Bernard at Clos Saint Louis in Fixin in the Côte de Nuits has sent a greeting and some information about how the vine is
Wild fires in California are now more or less recurring annually. This year they have started unusually early. The winemakers had just started harvesting their
It has been an extremely warm and dry spring in some parts of France, especially the northern and north-eastern parts. We asked Philippe Bernard at
Bordeaux was hit by violent hailstorms on April 17. In Saint Emilion, Château Bernateau – that we were supposed to visit the day after on
The harvest in Champagne was in full swing when we kicked off our autumn wine tour season with Champagne on September 11. And we mostly
Hail storms can be violent and the 20-minute storm that affected Crozes-Hermitage and part of Saint Joseph on June 15 was exceptionally violent. Some winegrowers
During flowering, the winegrower looks anxiously at the weather forecast. The flowering takes place, depending on the region, from the end of May until the
The spring frost has struck again in several places in France. Warm spring weather led to an early budding but then the weather changed again,
If drought is a recurring feature of the weather, then the wine growers become experts in handling it. This is the case, for example, in
The unpredictable weather and the importance of water The weather is unpredictable and even more so right now it seems. Admittedly, it is said that
Heavy rain and floods of a rare violence in the department of Aude In Languedoc in mid-October caused major damage to vineyards and wineries, in
It’s winter in South Africa and it’s raining, at last. A relief, but more rain is needed, says DP Burger, winemaker at Glenwood in Franschhoek,
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