Vintners in France
haven't seen such hot
and dry harvest weather
since the 14th century,
during a time called
"the Black Death",
with Europe recovering
from the pandemic that
slashed its population.
This is the conclusion
of researchers who
examined temperature,
grape harvest and
wage data dating back
to 1354.
The authors, led by
Thomas Labbe, conclude:
“Outstanding hot and dry years
in the past were outliers,
while they have become
the norm since the transition
to rapid warming in 1988.
Hotter temperatures
over the last three decades
have resulted in Burgundy
grapes being harvested
on average 13 days earlier
than they were
over the last 664 years."
After looking at about
300 documentary weather
reports, the researchers
looked at the legendary
hot summer of 1540
that dried up the
Rhine River.
That year, workers
harvested grapes
that looked like
"withered raisins"
and
“yielded a sweet
sherry-like wine
which made people
rapidly drunk.”
Hugh Johnson,
a well known
wine critic,
said tasting the
1540 vintage was
"one of the most
memorable
moments
of his career".
High temperatures
don't necessarily
guarantee quality harvests.
The duration of ripening
and winemaker styles
are also important inputs.