Photo Report from the Vineyards: Spring Frosts in France, as Told by the Growers

All over France, the so-called "spring frosts" are testing the nerves of growers as they battle to protect their vines

The 2021 vintage seems to be getting off to a somewhat surprising start, with weather events that are taking their toll across many parts of France: spring frosts.

For some weeks it had been clear that the season was running early, with a heatwave in March that had woken the vines (the moment known as the "bleeding of the vine").
By early April, however, there was considerable fear – a fear that has proved well founded in recent days, as waves of frost have swept across every part of France.

Spring frosts are a concern for growers and agronomists every year, and in recent years they have become more frequent (for example, in Chablis), partly as a result of global warming.
They strike when the vines – specifically the "buds" – begin their growing cycle and are extremely fragile and vulnerable to damage. These buds are the ones that will go on to produce and ripen the fruit, so any damage to them means a smaller crop from that vine.

Various methods are used in situations like this: wind machines and heat turbines (electrically powered), fires and heating systems (mostly fire-based, as the name suggests) and water sprinkler systems that wet the vines so they become encased in ice (rather than being damaged by frost).

The most common practice, in France and around the world, is still to light fires among the vines overnight.

Some of the producers in the Wine Terroir Selection have been hit by these frosts, and all of them are working hard to limit the damage. Below are some photographs showing the situation in various parts of France.

Spring frosts in Burgundy: not just in Chablis, but in the Côte d'Or too

The effects of the cold snap in Burgundy were most clearly visible in the northernmost area, Chablis, yet the Côte d'Or was not spared either.

In Chablis, the vineyards of Domaine Christophe et Fils were quickly dotted with fires to avert the worst: for now, the situation appears to be under control.

Further south, in the Côte de Nuits, the Gevrey-Chambertin area has also seen dangerously low temperatures over the past few days. Laurent Trapet, grower at Domaine Trapet-Rochelandet, has been constantly monitoring temperatures in the different lieux-dits using a network of weather stations.

Below, the aftermath of one of the recent frosty nights on a newly planted vineyard at Domaine Trapet-Rochelandet.

In the Côte de Beaune too, around Chassagne-Montrachet, home to Domaine Vincent Bachelet, temperatures dropped significantly, making it necessary to light fires along the rows.

Spring frosts in Champagne: some areas harder hit than others

In Champagne, further north still, the cold has also made itself felt. In Epernay, in the vineyards of Maison Patrick Boivin, temperatures plummeted: on 7 April, even in the late morning and in sunshine, the thermometer read -3 degrees Celsius.

Things were calmer, however, in the outer reaches of the Vallée de la Marne: in Jonquery, home to Maison Huiban (with its Champagne Auguste Huiban and Champagne Paul Augustine ranges), no significant frost problems were recorded in the vineyards.

Spring frosts in Savoy: cold but under control

At the foot of Mont Blanc, in Savoy (southern France), temperatures dropped rapidly. The photographs from Domaine Jean Vullien et Fils show long rows dotted with fires, with full-blown bonfires around the edges of the plots.

Evocative, at times "astonishing" images, which nonetheless remind us of an undeniable truth: wine is always born first and foremost in the vineyard, and nature cannot be controlled – we can only adapt to it, time after time.

- Further updates will follow if necessary.

---

Wine Terroir Srls is an importer and distributor of French and international wines, working exclusively with the Horeca trade in Italy.

Discover our services and our catalogue, or send us an email for more information!