Frost 2022: What is the assessment in the vineyards?

The nights of April 2nd to 4thsevere episodes of frost hit the majority of the French vineyard. According to Ouest-France, never since 1947 Such cold temperatures have never been recorded for the month of April. Once again this year, winegrowers had to redouble your efforts For protect their vineyards. Candles, fires or heat cannonsAll means were used to combat this spring frost. Now is the time to balance sheet and to fallout for the 2022 vintage.

A night at breakneck speed

The well-prepared winemakers

In many regions of France, frost has struck again. Almost a year ago already, the same episode It had been reported in most vineyards, reducing production quantities for many. Fortunately, forecasts do not predict a drop in quality. So, what about this year? 

Once, but not twice That was the watchword for protecting the vines as much as possible. This year, the winegrowers were well prepared and all means were welcome to counter this episode of spring frost. Fires, helicopters, candles, braziers, water sprays, cannon fire, or even wind turbines, The winegrowers have shown no shortage of imagination. During the night from Sunday to Monday, temperatures dropped in some regions. down to -9°C. HAS Saint-Émilion In particular, the thermometer defied all weather forecasts as the temperature dropped. down to -7°C. 

Monday morningthe temperatures were positive again in Burgundy while the frost episode continued to rage in the Bordeaux vineyardsIn total, four consecutive nights were very cold in the south of the GirondeAlthough these episodes involve a great deal of stress and energy for the winegrowers, it would seem that all have paid off.  

Limited damage?

Fortunately, for many vineyards, the buds had not yet burst open. Bordeaux In particular, this detail could then work in favor of the winemakers. A member of the Cavissima team present on site even spoke quickly with a winemaker from the region. 

According to him, there would not be no worries to have for the Cabernets since most of the vines have not yet broken through. On the other hand, more damage are to be expected on the Merlots, particularly on the earliest ripening terroirs such as the plateau of Margaux or certain areas of the Right BankIf the leaves had already begun to emerge, they struggled to withstand such low temperatures. Therefore, each Merlot vine must now be inspected to more accurately assess the extent of the damage. Burgundy and to ChablisSo far, no dramatic damage has been observed. The winegrowers were well prepared and temperatures were not as low as in the Bordeaux regionThis significantly reduces the risk of reduced production. Indeed, last year when the frost was forecast, the buds had already all or almost all emerged, which is not the case this year. Puligny-Montrachet, a region that is nevertheless at risk due to its early vegetation, Little damage has been reported.. 

The same applies to the Grand Est region, the Loire Valley and of the SouthwestFor the vines in these regions, many buds had also not yet opened. 

Finally, the only two spared regions by this episode of spring frost remain the southern France and the Rhône ValleyThanks to climat Mediterranean and partly thanks to mistralThe wind effect may have stirred the air and therefore reduce the effects of frost on the vines. Furthermore, the recorded temperatures fluctuated between 0 and -1, which is still much less important than in neighboring regions. 

Impressive images 

In a statement shared on LinkedIn by the Château Haut-BaillyA video shows the extent of the means and efforts deployed by the winegrowers to protect their vines. You can see all the work carried out over these four consecutive nights of bad weather within this prestigious château. Every night, the winegrowers stayed on the front lines until the early morning to protect their vines. JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cubGlua2VkaW4uY29tJTJGZW1iZWQlMkZmZWVkJTJ GdXBkYXRlJTJGdXJuJTNBbGklM0F1Z2NQb3N0JTNBNjkxNjc2OTE3MTk5MzE5ODU5MiUyMiUyMGhlaWdodCUzRCUyMj Y3MyUyMiUyMHdpZHRoJTNEJTIyNTA0JTIyJTIwZnJhbWVib3JkZXIlM0QlMjIwJTIyJTIwYWxsb3dmdWxsc2NyZWVuJ TNEJTIyJTIyJTIwdGl0bGUlM0QlMjJQb3N0JTIwaW50JUMzJUE5Z3IlQzMlQTklMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZpZnJhbWUlM0U=The Cavissima team We offer our full support to the extended family of winegrowers. We are deeply impressed by their courage and tireless work in protecting the vines. Once again, we are struck by the genuine passion of these producers and their dedication to their craft.