– An alarmingly early start that raises questions for the future
Probably the result of global warming which this year has caused an exceptional drought, the 2022 harvest has, in some regions, started as early as the end of July…this is unheard of!
This unprecedented scenario highlights a well-known fact: People are in perpetual combat with the forces of the nature.
Winemakers are no exception to the rule!
The last few years have shown how much this passionate and highly demanding profession has become a brotherhood, especially for the different French wine regions and appellations that strive to preserve the different characteristics they are each known for.
Frost, torrential rains, drought and other meteorological anomalies do not differentiate between the large wine estates and the small producers.
But their means to fight against them are obviously not the same and neither are the economic consequences suffered subsequently.
sources :
Biodiversity at the heart of the Morvan territory
Drought and heat wave: at a winemaker from the Nantes region
Large farms can withstand a loss of 20 to 30% of harvests, on certain vine plots, by “catching up” on volume or value of their stock.
But for more modest estates, the entire operation is at risk.
The idea is not to pit the big against the small.
[icon name=”wine-glass-alt” prefix=”fas”] – But it raises the question of the future of winegrowing in France.
Faced with the resurgence of inconsistent climatic changes, will we see French-style “terroir wines” gradually disappear, in favour of the model inspired by the gigantic Californian, Australian or South African wineries who produce huge volumes of wine which are pleasant but very similar?
If nothing is done in the years to come, the answer to this question will unfortunately be obvious !!!
However, there is no doubt that all the players in the sector are aware of the challenges to come and that everything will be done to adapt to these new issues.
Moreover, we, as the consumers, also have a role to play in the preservation of what constitutes part of our common heritage !
Some sources:
Viticulture: how Occitania and IVSO innovate in the face of climatic hazards
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