Tag: weather

Nets to protect vines from hail in Chablis, Burgundy

Hail nets are now permitted in France

Wine producers in France are now allowed to use vertical hail nets. After three years of experiments in Burgundy, the INAO has decided that the nets do not affect the maturity or quality of the

A rainy day (in Lisbon), with people with umbrellas

Hail storms again, and rain

A very violent hailstorm with huge hailstones hit Bordeaux on May 26th. It is as yet unclear how many hectares of vineyards have been affected, but probably at least a few thousand in southern Médoc,

Child's feet in water

Rain and rain and rain in Bordeaux causes problems

It doesn’t stop raining in Bordeaux. As spring progresses, wine producers face problems. It is difficult to drive the tractor and to walk in a wet and muddy vineyard. This is inconvenient for those growers

Douro landscape and vineyards a rainy and sunny day

Climate change in the vineyards, is it a problem?

In late October, a conference called Tasting Climate Change was held in Canada. The subject was the impact of climate change on wine growing. An important question asked was: is it justifiable to plant vines

A barrel cellar tunnel at Bodegas Roda in Rioja

Viti-tunnel may reduce need for spraying

Ten Bordeaux chateaux will in 2018 and 2019 try out a new way to reduce the spraying in the vineyard. They will protect their vines against rain by installing in their vineyard a Viti-tunnel. This

Forest fire damage in Stellenbosch, South Africa

South Africa’s harvest hit by the drought

There is a severe water shortage at the moment in South Africa’s wine regions. The harvest 2018 will probably be the smallest in ten years. The South Africans begin picking their grapes in February. The

Forest fire damage in Stellenbosch, South Africa

Horrible forest fires in Portugal and Spain

Portugal and Spain have also been hit hard by forest fires, just like the fires in California. A dry and hot October made it easy for fires to start. When the hurricane Ophelia came, the

Forest fire damage in Stellenbosch, South Africa

Violent wildfires in California’s wine regions

Around 40 people died in very extensive fires north of San Francisco in mid-October. Wine regions like Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino were affected and the fires caused damage to a large number of wine estates.

Winter in the Rhone Valley

Keep an eye on the weather and limit your spraying

Most (all?) wine growers today aim for less spraying in the vineyard. Regardless of the products you use when spraying. There are various preventive measures that facilitate this goal. For example, keeping an eye on

Vine burned by the frost in Languedoc

The worst spring frost in a very long time

It has been a cold spring throughout Europe. So cold that frost has caused damage in most European wine countries, in the north as well as in the south. For many wine growers, this is

A very warm and sunny summer day

Water stress in Languedoc

The technical Dionysud wine fair was held in Beziers in Languedoc in November. A big discussion during the fair was about irrigation. Languedoc-Roussillon has a total of 240 000 hectares and only 24,000 are irrigated

Hail destroys vineyards in Languedoc

A violent hailstorm caused great damage in among others the Pic Saint Loup and Grès de Montpellier appellations in Languedoc on 17 August. Grapes from hundreds of hectares were completely destroyed. The vines afterwards were

Frost in northern France

It has been a cold spring in northern France. For growers in Chablis and the Côte d’Or this turned into something really bad during the night between April 26 and 27. It was a frosty

Hail in Burgundy, again

Hailstorms have again, a little while back, destroyed a part of the future harvest 2016 for growers in Beaujolais and Mâconnais. It was on the 13th and 14th of April that some villages, including Solutré-Pouilly

Stormy weather in July

Burgundy suffered from disastrous hail storms on July 23. In the Côte de Beaune some wineries have had their entire vineyard destroyed. The agriculture minister Stephane Le Foll were quick to announce that victims would

Nets to protect vines from hail in Chablis, Burgundy

Rain, wind and hail. Then heat and more hail.

The bad spring turned into a cold, rainy and windy early summer in France. Hail, storms and even small tornadoes have occurred. Some regions have suffered worse than others. For example, Vouvray in the Loire

Drip nozzle, on a viner irrigation system at Kir-Yianni Winery, Naoussa, Macedonia, Greece

Irrigation will be permitted in France?

Irrigation has long been prohibited in French vineyards. The reasoning being that with water the growers could inflate the grapes, increase production but lower the quality. There is currently a proposal on the table, likely

A rainy day (in Lisbon), with people with umbrellas

Hail storms again, and rain

A very violent hailstorm with huge hailstones hit Bordeaux on May 26th. It is as yet unclear how many hectares of vineyards have been affected,

A very warm and sunny summer day

Water stress in Languedoc

The technical Dionysud wine fair was held in Beziers in Languedoc in November. A big discussion during the fair was about irrigation. Languedoc-Roussillon has a

Hail destroys vineyards in Languedoc

A violent hailstorm caused great damage in among others the Pic Saint Loup and Grès de Montpellier appellations in Languedoc on 17 August. Grapes from

Frost in northern France

It has been a cold spring in northern France. For growers in Chablis and the Côte d’Or this turned into something really bad during the

Hail in Burgundy, again

Hailstorms have again, a little while back, destroyed a part of the future harvest 2016 for growers in Beaujolais and Mâconnais. It was on the

Stormy weather in July

Burgundy suffered from disastrous hail storms on July 23. In the Côte de Beaune some wineries have had their entire vineyard destroyed. The agriculture minister

Drip nozzle, on a viner irrigation system at Kir-Yianni Winery, Naoussa, Macedonia, Greece

Irrigation will be permitted in France?

Irrigation has long been prohibited in French vineyards. The reasoning being that with water the growers could inflate the grapes, increase production but lower the

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