French vines taken by storm

This summer brought hailstorms that destroyed thousands of hectares of vines in just about every region of France. Two masses of air clashing into each another, one cold, one hot, were the cause.

The hot air coming up from the Basque country and the Pyrenees met the cold air in Champagne, Burgundy and Alsace, and, combined with a very hot summer, resulted in some violent storms.

It began on June 17 in Vouvray, where more than 10,000 hectares of vines were severely damaged, and about 4,000 of which were destroyed. Seeing the vines stripped of their leaves, their grapes torn off and scattered on the ground, reduced many winegrowers to tears.

July 23 brought devastation to a large part of the Côte de Beaune, which was hit for the second year in a row Areas of Volnay, Pommard, Beaune and all of Savigny-lès-Beaune lost between 50 to 80 per cent of the harvest.

Worse, the new growth, which would have become the source for next year's harvest, was also damaged. Pruning the damaged vines will be very difficult, and many will die even before they are pruned.

It's almost as bad as it was in 1985, when 20 per cent of the vineyards had to be replanted. Luckily, the hail was much less severe in the vineyards around Meursault. This year the Côte de Nuits was again spared, and even though flowering was uneven and the harvest will be small, this might lead to some truly great wines.

On July 27, some of the best vineyards on the hillsides of Cahors and, in particular, the excellent parcels of Chambert and Les Laquets, were also hit hard, as well as hundreds of hectares in the Cognac region. But all this was a minor calamity compared to what came next.