Wine Spectator: Second Storm In A Week Savages Bordeaux
August 8, 2013Bordeaux recently suffered its second destructive hail storm in a week, Wine Spectator reports. Almost 30,000 acres of vines in the Entre-Deux-Mers, St.-Emilion and Castillon regions were damaged, half almost completely, in a hail storm that lasted just minutes. An early tally shows 14,800 acres with more than 80 percent crop loss, and another 14,800 with fairly significant damage. The total loss is estimated to be more than $133 million.
“It was a 15-minute disaster,” said Patrick Vasseur, president of the FDSEA, the local agriculture syndicate. “Just 15 minutes to destroy [14,800 acres]. There’s never been anything like it in our lifetime.” Last week some of the same growers hit by this storm lost grapes to hail in nearby Genissac, Vayres and Arveyres. In addition to Bordeaux, Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune and parts of Champagne have also been ravaged by damaging storms in recent weeks.
Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.
