In the Bordeaux district of France, the grapes are now harvested a few weeks earlier than usual. The reason is climate change, to which the wine industry must now adapt. – Global warming is very positive. Better maturity, better balance, so it’s wonderful, says Fabien Teitgen who is technical director at the Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte winery. New methods in production The winegrowers see climate change as both good and bad for the grapes – and new methods of pruning, as well as how to deal with heat and extreme cold can wait. – If the vine starts its cycle earlier, we risk encountering frost episodes, says Éric Perrin who is a co-owner of the Chateau Carbonnieux property. This year, the record heat has contributed to higher quality of this year’s grapes with, among other things, fewer pests. A negative aspect is that the harvest has become significantly smaller. See more about how viticulture is affected by climate change in the player above
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The record heat hits the wine harvests
