Severe rain, hail, and mildew have devastated a large portion of the wine harvest in the eastern region of Jura, France this year, leaving winegrowers in a difficult situation.
The Jura, located between the renowned Burgundy wine region and Switzerland, is a historic wine-growing area with around 200 vineyards spread over 2,000 hectares.
Its unique elevation and cool climate provide a distinct flavor to its wines, including the famous “Vin Jaune” (yellow wine).
However, this year has brought challenges as the Jura, the smallest of France’s 17 major wine regions, is facing a significant 71 percent decrease in wine production volume, largely due to a frost in April that destroyed many vines.
According to Benoit Sermier, a local winegrower, the frost cost them 60 percent of the harvest as sub-zero temperatures destroyed the budding vines.
– ‘Particularly unfavourable’ –
Despite expectations of high-quality harvest, the lack of quantity is putting winegrowers in a precarious position, especially as the persistent rain in July and spread of mildew have further impacted production.
The challenging weather conditions have resulted in historic losses for the region, with overall wine volumes in France expected to fall by almost a fifth this year.
Weather revisions were made following the extent of damage caused by frost, hail, and mildew becoming clearer.
– ‘Humid conditions’ –
Other regions in France are also experiencing drops in wine production due to various factors such as smaller grape bunches and insufficient flowering caused by humid conditions.
The impact of adverse weather is exacerbated by winegrowers reducing vineyard sizes in response to declining wine consumption in France.
