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After months of drought, up to 1,500 hectares of vineyards in the Catalan region of Penedès were devastated by a severe hailstorm a few days ago. The worst affected areas will probably not be able to harvest any grapes at all.
The Catalan wine magazine Vadevi published a map of the hailstorm drawn by local winegrowers. It shows a vertical line from Sant Joan de Mediona to Cubelles, which runs directly through Vilafranca del Penedès. The most affected vineyards were in the towns of Santa Margarida i els Monjos, Castellet i la Gornal, Sant Martí Sarroca and Font-rubí. "Rain was forecast, but instead of water, only ice fell," reports Ferrán Lacruz from Bodega Clandestina in Sant Martí Sarroca.
"Some vines only have their trunks left," said Josep Marrugat, head of the viticulture department of the agricultural union Unió de Pagesos. According to Marrugat, there will be no harvest this year from the most severely damaged vines. Next year's harvest may also be affected. In an interview with the local newspaper La Ciutat, he described the situation as "very discouraging". The Unió de Pagesos estimates the loss at around seven million kilos of grapes. This is equivalent to around five million euros. The majority of the grapes are used for the production of cava. The DO Cava appellation is already suffering from the fact that it is currently unable to meet global demand.
"Not only the wineries that buy grapes, but also consumers need to understand that prices need to change so that the Penedès has a future," said Ferrán Lacruz. The climatic conditions are an existential question for the winegrowers.
(ru / Decanter)