Date£º
2017-07-13 09:50 Source£º
www.decanter.com Author:
Yohan Castaing Translator:
Some of the Beaujolais 2017 harvest may have been lost after vineyards were hit by a torrent of summer hail.
Hail stones damage Beaujolais vines, July 2017. Credit: @ophelie_gf / Twitter
A fierce hailstorm hit the Beaujolais region at 4:45pm on 10 July.
It¡¯s a case of d¨¦j¨¤-vu for some producers after the same corridor of Beaujolais vineyards suffered from hail in June 2016, said M¨¦lina Condy from region wine body InterBeaujolais.
¡®But this is on a on a bigger and wider scale,¡¯ she told Decanter.com.
Early signs suggested that Beaujolais Crus, situated in the north, were among the worst vineyard affected. From Beaujeu to Moulin-¨¤-Vent, the storm impacted
Chiroubles, the north of R¨¦gni¨¦, Morgon, Chenas, Moulin-¨¤-Vent and Fleurie.
The pretty village of Fleurie was particularly badly hit, with violent winds and a lot of houses and wineries damaged. The fire department was overwhelmed with calls for the entire night between Fleurie and Moulin-¨¤-Vent.
¡®It was a tornado; I have rarely seen this,¡¯ said Dominique Piron, president of InterBeaujolais and owner of Domaine Piron.
Producers triggered anti-hail canons but these were not enough and the wine also caused damage. ¡®The small hailstones and the wind had a sandblasting effect¡¯ on the vines, Piron added.
InterBeaujolais officials and winemakers were assessing damage on Tuesday morning (11 July), but it was too early to give a detailed picture.
¡®A lot of people are affected, to varying degrees,¡¯ said Piron.
¡®In our modern world, it is difficult to accept such a sudden event. But it is unfortunately the lot of those who work with nature.¡¯
Editing by Chris Mercer
(http://www.decanter.com/wine-news/beaujolais-hail-tornado-storm-372353/)