Whilst the mid-summer in the UK has been pretty miserable and very wet, bad weather has not been confined to this side of the English Channel, and many wine regions in France are now reporting serious concerns, particularly about the onset of mildew on the grapes. Up to 60 days of frequent and heavy rains in Bordeaux, South West France and elsewhere have led to very damp conditions which provide an ideal environment for parasitic mildew to develop on the leaves and young bunches of grapes. Even spraying with the distinctive “Bordeaux mixture” of copper sulphate and lime does not have much effect when the rain dilutes its effects as soon as it is sprayed.
Certainly my visits to the wine regions of France this summer have been disappointing weatherwise, and unless the weather improves soon there may be a serious shortfall in the 2007 vintage. Really good weather from now until September could rescue the quality of the resultant wines, but not the quantity. However, the 10 day forecast for Bordeaux still seems to threaten rather changeable conditions rather than the reliably hot and sunny weather you would normally expect in mid/late July.
Alsace was also severely affected by localised hailstorms in June, which were so ferocious that cars were damaged by the hailstorms.
Just another reminder that owning a vineyard is seldom an easy option – pests, diseases, marauding animals, weather, the 35–hour week, customs bureaucracy….. all seem to conspire against you!
