Catastrophic damage. Lacerated vines. Severe frost.Β This past week’s reports out of France read like a doomsday novel for anyone who loves a nice Grand Cru.
French wine growers know all too well how unpredictable weather can wreak havoc on their growing season. This year mother nature turned it up a notch. Severe frost from Burgundy to Loire forced vineyard owners to take drastic measures. In the Loire Valley growers used sprinklers toΒ coatΒ their vinesΒ with ice to insulate them against even colder temperatures.Β Budding vines inΒ Champagne sufferedΒ under a fresh blanket of snow and a severeΒ hailstormΒ in Beaune sliced throughΒ new growthΒ on vines in Pommard, Volnay, and MΓ’connais.
Meanwhile crews in Burgundy took more drastic measures. From far away it looksΒ like a pleasant scene of Christmas lights.
Up close it’s a much different story, as crews lit torches in the vineyards to protect against the frost.
Caroline Parent-Gros, of Domaine AF GrosΒ in Pommard told DecanterΒ “Such a frost is unseen since 1981 and it could have consequences not only on the yields of the Burgundy 2016 harvest but also on the yields of 2017.”Β InΒ MΓ’connais and Pouilly-Fuisse the budding vines were so badly damaged by hail that a fewΒ vineyards estimate near 100% loss.Β Jean-Philippe Bret told Decanter he hopes the vines will recover withΒ secondary bud growth, but the next few weeks will be crucial.
These incredible photos were taken by AurΓ©lien Ibanez, a photographer based in Burgundy. You can see more of them on his Facebook page.
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Desperate growers in Burgundy light fires to save their prestigious crus. Click To Tweet
Via Decanter
