Heavy rain in the Bordeaux region has led to flooding in some low-lying vineyards.
Flooded vines near Langoiran. Image: Getty/AFP Jean-Pierre Muller
Some of the worst affected vines were those in and around Langoiran, close to the banks of La Garonne river south of Bordeaux centre.
‘All the properties next to the river and some slightly beyond have been flooded,’ said Youmna Asseily, winemaker at Chateau Biac. ‘Some areas are still under water.’
Biac was unaffected, because it sits on a hill overlooking the Garonne. ‘We are a bit like Mount Ararat, waiting for Noah’s Ark to appear,’ said Asseily.
Too much water is the ‘number one enemy for the roots of the vines’, because it can ultimately lead to dilution of aromas and flavour in the grapes, she added.
Other areas around Bordeaux do not appear to have had so many problems, despite weather alerts across the region over the past week.
Gavin Quinney, owner of Chateau Bauduc, told decanter.com that neither he nor his chateau-owning friends near the Garonne river at Cerons, in the Graves, have been flooded.
Written by Chris Mercer
