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The heat wave currently rolling over France with temperatures of up to 43°C is upsetting the planning for the harvest. According to meteorologists, it is the most intense heat wave since weather records began. In some areas, red wine grapes have to be harvested earlier and turned into rosé to prevent them from drying out.
While some wine-growing regions in the north - such as Champagne - are suffering from too much moisture and the resulting fungal diseases, in the south the vines are drying out. Winemaker Mathieu Cathala reports from the Narbonne area that he has "never seen his Viognier in this condition. I estimate that I have lost between 30 and 50 percent of the harvest. The vines are yellow like at the end of September, I have the feeling that the leaves will fall off, the grapes are burnt and the berries are brown instead of green. The Cabernet Franc and Caladoc grapes look like skeletons." Only his Grenache grapes would have tolerated the extreme heat better.
Jacques Rousseau, the head of the viticulture service of the consultancy ICV says: "Until the beginning of August, everything went well, even in the areas where there was not much rain. Today we see a clear difference between irrigated and non-irrigated vineyards. We are a long way from 2019, but this late heat wave will certainly have an impact on must yield."
(al / source: vitisphere)