Frosts hit France again, but may be less severe
French winemakers have faced a tense time after spring frosts returned to vineyards early in April. Temperatures plunged overnight on 3-4 April, dropping lower than -5°C in parts of Champagne, Bordeaux and Chablis. Vineyards were illuminated by protective candles as France recorded its coldest April night since 1947.
Yet, while scenes were reminiscent of devastating frosts 12 months earlier, initial signs suggested less widespread damage compared to April 2021.
In Burgundy, ‘the vines are less advanced in the growth cycle and in general terms, the frost event was shorter and less intense’, said the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB).
Early reports showed damage was relatively limited versus 12 months ago, although patches of frost did return to some plots on 10 April, too, a BIVB spokesperson said.
Some producers still expect an impact on the 2022 vintage. Julien Brocard, of Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard in Chablis, said: ‘We estimate that between 20%-30% of the harvest has been lost.’
He said biodynamically farmed vineyards suffered less damage, while conventional vines ‘had an earlier budding and therefore were more fragile’.
In Bordeaux, the local chamber of agriculture said ‘spring had begun’
