‘Frozen’ wine disaster: French vineyards catastrophically hit by frost
It may have looked like something out of a fairy tale a little over a week ago: in vineyards all over France, thousands of braziers burned in rows at night while winegrowers stood guard over their precious fruit. In the meantime, a nightmare unfolded. Due to consecutive nights of frost between April 5 and 8, at least one-third of the entire French grape harvest was lost—a disaster, then…
Winegrowers across the country did everything they could to protect their grapes from the night frost. From spraying them with water to form an igloo-like protective layer around the grape, to using hot-air machines, lighting fires, having helicopters move warm air around and burning paraffin candles—it was all in vain.
Extreme weather conditions disastrous
Due to climate change, farmers growing all kinds of crops around the world are having to deal with exceptional weather conditions at unexpected times. The warm days in March had caused the vines to start flowering already, making them extra vulnerable. In addition, spring frost is something the industry is wary of anyway; winegrowers usually only feel reassured after the ‘Ice Saints’ (May 11–13). A deeply affected farmer said he saw his vines “break like glass”.
For the French, wine is a major part of life
Apart from Portugal, nowhere in the world is as much wine drunk per capita as in France. The French government has therefore declared that “French identity is forged with wine” and proclaimed the situation an ‘agricultural disaster’. This means that the affected farmers can count on extensive government support. Several farmers expect the harvest to be a total failure or to have failed by at least ninety percent. And that after a year in which many winemakers, including those from Champagne, had already seen their revenues plummet because of corona.
That’s going to cost something
The shortages could certainly lead to price increases. But please don’t let that stop you from continuing to buy those beautiful Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire and Rhône Valley wines. And if your budget allows, champagne too—for example in such a beautiful sustainable package from Ruinart. Support the winegrowers, fill your wine glass once more and drink for a good cause!
Also read:
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- These are the most underrated wines according to top sommeliers
Sources & image credits in article: de Volkskrant, Misset Horeca, Yahoo Finance, Reuters
