Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes

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Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 6:17:37 AM

gharbour

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Joined: 4/30/2010
From: Savigny les Beaune, France
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This series of posts is the continuing saga of a father helping his son (Nicholas) and daughter-in-law (Colleen) realize their dream of starting a winery (www.MaisonHarbour.com) in Burgundy, France. If you didn’t catch my earlier posts please look beneath the title of this post to find ” View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)” and select “in all forums”.

Disaster Strikes Burgundy

Hail hits and it is devastating. Hail is one of the main threats to grapes. Nicholas and I were leaving Savigny on Tuesday after lunch when we saw behind us a big dark storm coming over the Côte. We stopped and took pictures even though it was still up on the Hautes Côtes (high hills) but obviously coming this way.

We went on to a lumber yard on the south end of Beaune and it hit us there. It was truly a violent storm. The hail stones were the size of nickels and the wind was strong. Every thing was flooded. The storm was especially bad because it was so wide (hitting many appelations) and long (the hail lasted 20 minutes or more). Also, most of the vines had recently been trimmed reducing the leaf coverage.

We tried to drive home past a vineyard Nicholas and Colleen were ready to make an offer on but there was too much water coming off the Côte. Photo from Nicholas Rossignol. See his facebook page for many more (https://www.facebook.com/domaine.nicolasrossignol).

When we got home it was clear there had been much damage to the vineyards. At my house my grapes were trashed. Even the beautiful and protected bunch that I had followed for this post over the weeks shows significant breakage.

But the rest of the grapes which were more exposed look like this.

In Savigny and Pernand-Vergelesse, where the storm first hit, people are saying 15-50% loss of the grapes. But I saw a vineyard in Pernand that was totaled, the vines completely stripped. The bundle below is in Savigny 1er Cru Aux Guettes.

In the southern part of Beaune, Pommard, and Volnay, the reports are worse with up to 90% loss reported. That seems to be the extent of the damage from Pernand-Vergelesse down to Volnay and Meursault but sparing the Côte de Nuits.

All of the grapes with breaks or severe bruises are lost and will shrivel. They will have to be removed as well as possible from the remaining grapes during sorting. I am not sure how people with contracts for grapes to let and take are going to react. It will certainly take a lot more work to sort grapes given the damage done to major parts of the clusters. The yields will be low. With stock already low from the last three years this won't help. The prices for Burgundy will probably go up.

Nicholas and Colleen are waiting now to see where they are. They have put a lot of time (school) and money and themselves into the venture. I know they won't give up and I know they will succeed in making great wines.

A Bientôt,
Gary

< Message edited by gharbour -- 7/24/2013 12:31:22 PM >

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Savigny les Beaune

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 6:53:15 AM

recotte

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Gary,

Thanks for the update. Heartbreaking news. Mother Nature can sure be a harsh mistress at times.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 7:01:04 AM

f22nickell

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Wow, so unfortunate.

I can't imagine trying to run a business where so much of your livelihood is outside your own control, especially a business with so much soul and passion placed in to it.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 7:44:47 AM

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From: Wandering between Coastal SC and South FL
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it just makes my heart hurt

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 8:19:53 AM

Redrunners

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From: Glastonbury, CT
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Sorry to hear about your weather challenges.
Mother nature can be cruel at times.

Hopefully this will just be one of the stories they tell in 10 years after they have built a very successful and renowned vineyard in Burgundy.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 8:44:08 AM

Melovino

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Wow. This is tough, really tough. I admire all of you for taking on this dream (along with the challenges). Being a diehard fan of Burgundy, I've been really enjoying the posts. Please continue to keep us updated.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 8:56:21 AM

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for those who don't follow Burgundy, many of these plots are owned by small growers. If you have visions of Bordeaux-styled chateaux everywhere, you're not even close. Most of these people live in very humble houses. Many sell all their fruit and make no wine of their own, which means they obviously don't have reserves to sell. Three consecutive vintages with little to no grapes to sell could be backbreaking to many.
I know that we have farmers all over the world who suffer this way, but since this is a wine forum...

BTW, the weekend forecast is for a heat wave (mid 90s F), with little shade for remaining grapes since the canopy would have been shredded by the hail.

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Tous les chemins mènent à la Bourgogne!
"One not only drinks wine, one smells it, observes it, tastes it, sips it and -- one talks about it!" (in memory of drycab)

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Post #: 7

RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 10:08:09 AM

ChrisinCowiche

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This is certainly devastating and sad news.

When f22nickell was over here a week or so ago we talked with a grape farmer about the affect of hail, and one thing he mentioned that I'd never thought of was the affect on next years potential crop. The damaged vines/canopy from this summer, if damaged, will strive to survive and in doing so may produce another round of buds and flowers in 2013. These fruits never have a chance to make real fruit in 2013, but is strengthens the trunk of the plant. This gets the plant out of sequence though, and a new crops in spring 2014 gets delayed or stunted growth. So the farmer have to prune extra hard rather than pick during a hail year with no return on that labor until (hopefully) the following year.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 10:37:00 AM

JerryL

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That is heart-breaking. Best of luck.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 10:41:15 AM

gharbour

Posts: 371
Joined: 4/30/2010
From: Savigny les Beaune, France
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quote:

ORIGINAL: ChrisinSunnyside

This is certainly devastating and sad news.

When f22nickell was over here a week or so ago we talked with a grape farmer about the affect of hail, and one thing he mentioned that I'd never thought of was the affect on next years potential crop. The damaged vines/canopy from this summer, if damaged, will strive to survive and in doing so may produce another round of buds and flowers in 2013. These fruits never have a chance to make real fruit in 2013, but is strengthens the trunk of the plant. This gets the plant out of sequence though, and a new crops in spring 2014 gets delayed or stunted growth. So the farmer have to prune extra hard rather than pick during a hail year with no return on that labor until (hopefully) the following year.

All,

Thank you every for your heart felt sympathies for all the Côte de Beaune vignerons. Nicholas and I checked out many vineyards today and the losses are huge. For the vineyard we checked most carefully we estimated a 2/3 loss. It will probably be more because many of the remaining bunches have broken stems and will die. Chris is exactly right that the impact will be felt for a couple of years for sure. As explained to me by Nicholas and Colleen, the baguette (long fruiting branch) must be attached to the wire this winter. Since most of the branches have sever hail damage, many will break in this process. If a vine ends up with out a baguette (because they all broke) then no fruit next year! A weak baugette less fruit. The courson (short branch) left will produce the new baguette next year. If this is damaged the fruit 2 years from now could be affected.

Gary

< Message edited by gharbour -- 7/24/2013 12:35:39 PM >

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Post #: 10

RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 11:46:25 AM

musedir

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This news and the resulting damage to the crops and vines is heartbreaking... So very sorry. You really have to be made of strong stuff to be a farmer.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 12:52:20 PM

bretrooks

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quote:

ORIGINAL: musedir

This news and the resulting damage to the crops and vines is heartbreaking... So very sorry. You really have to be made of strong stuff to be a farmer.

+1

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 5:41:47 PM

Paul S

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From: Singapore
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Very sad - I wish you and your family all the best. This seems to be two vintages in a row now with dramatically reduced yields.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 6:24:19 PM

hellowine

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From: DC, thereabouts - Usually in FL
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quote:

ORIGINAL: musedir

This news and the resulting damage to the crops and vines is heartbreaking... So very sorry. You really have to be made of strong stuff to be a farmer.

Or you know, in the US, have crop insurance... How does that work in France anyway?

I'm so sorry for the loss of the grapes this year. It's really hard to hear that it's going to be a 2-year recovery from the storms. I really hope Maison Harbour comes through this ok.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 6:30:04 PM

Eddie

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Saturday's forecast high temperature (via Weatherunderground.com) for Beaune is 99 degrees F. Nature is not kind to Burgundy this year.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 7:04:17 PM

champagneinhand

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From: Upstate New York, California born.
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Mother Nature can be a cruel Muse! I've grown grapes for five years. I don't see how anybody could rely on this for a living. Its hard work and without any mistakes on one's part, disaster can strike any given year..Spring, Summer or Fall. I do feel for them.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/24/2013 7:11:00 PM

Franklin 10

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Paul S

Very sad - I wish you and your family all the best.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/25/2013 1:13:10 AM

gharbour

Posts: 371
Joined: 4/30/2010
From: Savigny les Beaune, France
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Hi All,

Thanks again for your support of the vignerons in the Côte de Beaune. I do want to point out that at this point it is really a yield loss issue. The grapes that remain can still make great wine. It depends on what happens the rest of the year. Good weather and avoiding disease are key. But with careful sorting the affected grapes can be removed and the wine can be great. Also remember that the Côte de Nuits was not impacted as well as portions of the Côte de Beaune. Even those area's impacted have varying degrees of loss. So while it will impact Burgundy (as many have pointed out well beyond the growers) don't give up on the vintage! I know Nicholas and Colleen haven't!

Gary

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/25/2013 1:50:17 AM

khmark7

Posts: 11420
Joined: 7/6/2008
From: Chicago suburbs
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quote:

ORIGINAL: gharbour

quote:

ORIGINAL: ChrisinSunnyside

This is certainly devastating and sad news.

When f22nickell was over here a week or so ago we talked with a grape farmer about the affect of hail, and one thing he mentioned that I'd never thought of was the affect on next years potential crop. The damaged vines/canopy from this summer, if damaged, will strive to survive and in doing so may produce another round of buds and flowers in 2013. These fruits never have a chance to make real fruit in 2013, but is strengthens the trunk of the plant. This gets the plant out of sequence though, and a new crops in spring 2014 gets delayed or stunted growth. So the farmer have to prune extra hard rather than pick during a hail year with no return on that labor until (hopefully) the following year.

All,

Thank you every for your heart felt sympathies for all the Côte de Beaune vignerons. Nicholas and I checked out many vineyards today and the losses are huge. For the vineyard we checked most carefully we estimated a 2/3 loss. It will probably be more because many of the remaining bunches have broken stems and will die. Chris is exactly right that the impact will be felt for a couple of years for sure. As explained to me by Nicholas and Colleen, the baguette (long fruiting branch) must be attached to the wire this winter. Since most of the branches have sever hail damage, many will break in this process. If a vine ends up with out a baguette (because they all broke) then no fruit next year! A weak baugette less fruit. The courson (short branch) left will produce the new baguette next year. If this is damaged the fruit 2 years from now could be affected.

Gary

Noticed that in the above pictures that the leaves didn't look so bad, so perhaps the vines won't push new buds. By comparison I have a good share of leaves stripped by the Japanese Beetles, but without damage to the fruit or stems.

Interesting to see how fast the fruit had matured in such a short time given this year was a delayed season. Pinot Noir is thin skinned, so hail is worse there than it would be in my yard.

Hopefully the vines will recover. There is still time.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/25/2013 4:13:55 AM

wadcorp

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Really sorry to hear of the hail damage. It seems to be epidemic in France this year.

Hoping for good luck with the remaining grapes.

.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/25/2013 12:09:23 PM

khmark7

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Decanter is reporting that officials are again looking into anti-hail methods such as cloud seeding. Does that strike anyone as interventionalist for this region?? What would the Monks say about this?

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/25/2013 3:23:34 PM

champagneinhand

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From: Upstate New York, California born.
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quote:

ORIGINAL: khmark7

Decanter is reporting that officials are again looking into anti-hail methods such as cloud seeding. Does that strike anyone as interventionalist for this region?? What would the Monks say about this?

Cloud seeding is not super reliable, at best. Humans messing with nature can make things worse, rather than better. It does seem very interventionist. Maybe its just a government media release to let those suffering know they are not alone. Sometimes this can help the mental anguish.

I still don't understand the monk thing. Dedicate your life to God, and then make wine for the rest of your years. I don't think that option exists any longer. Sounds like a pretty good alternative for life in the 17th century.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/25/2013 4:47:22 PM

mjobtx

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Looks like Burgundy is in for two bad years in a row. Last year, yields were way down for most because of climate; fruit picked later than normal. This year there was no Spring. Rainy, cool weather for months; now hail. It will be tough for the growers and wine makers with two tough years in a row.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/28/2013 7:38:26 AM

gharbour

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From: Savigny les Beaune, France
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A couple of people have asked about "Crop Insurance" like the US government sells at low cost to US farmers. There is no such government insurance program in France. A few growers have private insurance, but it is very expense. In Savigny less that a handful of growers have it. Losses are confirmed as high from Pernand to Muersault.

Also there was a comment about cloud seeding. There was meeting for all the growers in the Pommard, Volnay, Muersault area and cloud seeding was discussed (not for the first time). A friend of mine told me it can work, but it can also cause the hail to fall somewhere else and cause unintended damage.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 7/28/2013 11:05:07 AM

SkeBum

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Mother Nature bats first in the batting order and also bats clean up. Gary, I hope things get better over there, the pictures were sobering to say the least.

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 8/6/2013 9:42:56 AM

Eddie

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Any updates on this situation?

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RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 7 Disaster Strikes - 8/6/2013 1:06:02 PM

gharbour

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From: Savigny les Beaune, France
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Eddie

Any updates on this situation?

Yes Eddie, please see "Summer Adventure in Burgundy 8 - Starting Again"

Best Regards and Thanks for Following,
Gary

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Post #: 27