A wave of optimism in the French vineyards

Everybody can remember this particular summer: 18 days of heat wave in July –it cannot happen since 1921 -, fresh rainfall in August - + than 35% rainfall more. If the sky teased holidaymakers, it can be proud of having made the vines happy…

In Loire-Atlantique, the "Melon de Bourgogne" has rarely looked so well, in the South and in Alsace, everything seems to go well whereas in Bordeaux or Burgundy, the secateurs would begin working this week.

A wave of optimism swept across France from the north to the south and the summertime temperatures of September would continue twenty days again, the new vintage would be very good. In opposition to the 2003 vintage and thanks to the August rainfall, which suddenly made the temperature going down of 10 degrees, so the vines did not suffer of “hydric stress”.

Optimism once again… the sales – including all the AOC – increased of 5% and exports are picking up again. The Burgundy area notably bills + 11,6% on the first six months of the previous year.

After a drop, the wines’ prices became stable and people hope the 54 millions hectoliters of the 2006 vintage (the same quantity than in 2005), would allow them to increase…

2006, September 15 - © Le Journal du Dimanche

Other information :
• Bordeaux
• Burgundy
• Loire Valley
• Alsace