2016 Wine Harvest
Latest on the 2016 wine harvest
Workers hand-groom each cluster of dried grapes, Donnafugata winery, Sicily. Credit: Meg Houston Maker.
It’s been a turbulent year of weather in France and winemakers in several regions went into the 2016 wine harvest having already suffered at the hands of hail, frost and rot.
This was a year when Burgundy suffered its worst frost since 1981. Hailstorms led to growers declaring ‘states of catastrophe’ in Chablis and Beaujolais. Loire and Champagne producers also suffered at the hands of the early season freeze. Languedoc winemakers thought they had survived relatively well until those in Pic-St-Loup north of Montpellier were hit by hail stones the size of golf balls.
Bordeaux came through reasonably unscathed, but drought-like conditions at the end of August left many producers praying for rain. It’s really been a year of two halves for the Bordelais, as Decanter contributing editor Jane Anson said in an early report on the Bordeaux 2016 crop.
Elsewhere in Europe, it’s still early days for many, but there has been promising talk emerging from northern Italy and also England in late September.
In California, winemakers are looking forward to a year of more normal yields after a relatively small and very early 2015 harvest.
See all articles below
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Hopes rise for the Rhone 2015 vintage
The Rhone 2015 vintage has been one of the region's earliest starts to a wine harvest, beginning on 27 August, but optimism has been building among winemakers and grape growers.
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Italy wine harvest 2015 looking good, say producers
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Mixed conditions for Bordeaux red harvest
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Jefford on Monday: Burgundy wine harvest - is 2015 a great year?
In this week's column, Andrew Jefford reports on the Burgundy wine harvest for 2015.
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August saved the Burgundy 2015 vintage, say vintners
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Hopes are high for Prosecco harvest
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Hail hits Chablis on wine harvest eve
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Bordeaux 2015: White wine harvest to start next week
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Rioja heading for early 2015 wine harvest
A hot and dry growing season means some Rioja wine producers expect to begin the 2015 wine harvest up to a month earlier than usual.
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Hopes rise for 2015 Port wine harvest
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Champagne 2015 crop enters 'crucial' period
The next six weeks will be ‘crucial’ to the quality and quantity of this year’s Champagne harvest, after drought conditions left vines short of water.
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Mumm kicks off earliest Napa wine harvest for years
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Heatwave in French vineyards evokes memories of 2003
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Marlborough 2015 harvest worsens Sauvignon Blanc 'squeeze'
The reduced 2015 crop in New Zealand has exacerbated the on-going squeeze of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc grapes, says Cloudy Bay Estate Director Ian Morden.
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Canadian Icewine 2014 vintage down 50 percent
Canada's 2014 Icewine vintage is set to only yield half as much wine as the historic 2013 harvest, but several winemakers are optimistic on quality thanks to good acidity levels and picking conditions.
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South African wine body calls 2015 vintage 'exceptional'
Winemakers in South Africa expect to make ‘exceptional’ wines from the 2015 harvest, which was one of the driest and earliest in years, says a new report by trade body VinPro.
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South African wine estates battle to save vineyards from fires
Wildfires near to Cape Town have threatened to engulf some of South Africa’s oldest vineyards, forcing winery owners and staff to sacrifice sleep to protect their estates.
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Harvest 2015: South Africa winemakers excited by quality
Hopes are rising that South Africa’s 2015 harvest could be one of the best in recent memory, with many winemakers reporting ideal conditions.
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Washington State sees third record grape harvest in a row
Winemakers in Washington State have reported a record grape harvest for the third consecutive year, reflecting stronger investment in the US region’s vineyards.
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French wine exports fall in 2014, show figures
Weaker shipments of Burgundy and Bordeaux to key markets caused an overall drop in French wine exports in 2014, overshadowing stronger demand for Champagne, show new figures.
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English winemakers hail 'exquisite' 2014 vintage
English wine producers are hailing 2014 as a year to remember after a warm, dry September produced one of the earliest harvests in recent times.
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Global wine production set to drop by up to 4% in 2014, report warns
Global wine production is expected to fall by as much as 4% in 2014, despite a rebound in France following last year’s small crop, says a new report from Rabobank.
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Bordeaux 2014: Rain hits end of the harvest
Sudden and heavy rainfall across Bordeaux is forcing winemakers who have not yet harvested their reds to speed up picking or risk waiting longer for conditions to clear.
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Oregon winemakers laud 'juggernaut' 2014 vintage
Oregon winemakers have reported bumper grape hauls from the 2014 harvest, with quality that the 'public will fall all over'.
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French police investigate harvest worker 'abuse' near Champagne vineyards
French police have launched a criminal investigation after finding 248 Polish immigrants being kept in 'exploitative' conditions in one house and thought to be destined to work the Champagne harvest.
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Bordeaux 2014: Winemakers optimistic ahead of red harvest
Brief but heavy storms have failed to dampen Bordeaux winemakers' optimism for the 2014 red wine harvest, as figures show producers across France plan to increase yields to compensate for shortfalls last year.
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French wineries may face higher costs for harvest workers
French wineries may come under added financial pressure as the government considers imposing social charges on wages paid to harvest workers with short-term contracts.
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Italy winemakers braced for tough 2014 harvest
Summer rain has left winemakers across northern Italy facing difficult conditions for the 2014 harvest, but while many still remain optimistic there are higher hopes further south in the country.
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Sonoma Harvest Wine Auction smashes record
The annual Sonoma Harvest Wine Auction has raised $4m, close to three times more than the event's previous record of $1.4m set in 2013.
