A number of external factors can
influence the winemaking process. If a region experiences adverse weather
patterns, the quality of the grapes used to create a certain vintage can
suffer. So how does frost
damage grapes for winemaking?
Effect of frost
The grape growing season spans
the spring months. Wine
Maker Magazine explains that during this period, vines are sensitive to
temperatures below 0 °C. If there is a spring frost and temperatures drop below
this threshold, it can damage the opening buds and young shoots on grapevines.
Sometimes this inhibits the entire vine’s ability to produce the quality grapes
required for winemaking.
Vintners invest in a number of
measures to prevent their grapevines from frost damage. This includes delaying
pruning, so that vines experience later bud bursts and avoid encountering
devastating spring frosts. Winemakers sometimes invest in temperature
modification measures e.g. installing heaters in their vineyards, to ensure
that frost cannot lower the temperatures and damage grapevines.
Damage to winemaking
If a serious frost hits a
winemaking region, it can cause significant damage to the area’s grape crop –
as evidenced recently in Burgundy. Industry portal The
Drinks Business reports that between the 26th and 27th
April 2016, a heavy frost hit the entirety of Burgundy’s winemaking country,
from the Maconnais to Chablis. Even those areas which normally escape such
freezes fell victim to this frost.
The full impact of the frost is
still being calculated but early estimations from regional industry body the
Bourgogne Interprofession suggest that 46% of Burgundy’s vineyards – 13,453
hectares – were damaged by over 30% due to the frost. Furthermore, evidence
suggests that 23% of those Burgundy vineyards affected saw their grape crops
damaged by as much as 70%.
Frost damage can take a while to
manifest. Therefore, several prominent Burgundy wine growers explained to The
Drinks Business that it may be some time before they can fully assess the
damage that this frost inflicted on the region’s grapevines. The frost also hit
a number of other French wine growing regions, most notably impacting the
entirety of the Loire Valley. Estimates indicate that many vineyards in this
area have seen their grape crops damaged at rates which eclipse the 30% mark. Try Burgundy wine
As seen recently in Burgundy,
frost can restrict a grapevine’s ability to produce the standout grapes
necessary for winemaking. Burgundy produce beautiful wine like the Clos
Saint Denis 1996 using their world-class grapes. Frost damaging crops is a
serious issue for wine producers and we hope a good harvest is still possible.
