Happy New Year Julien. It's fascinating how wine producers really are at the forefront in terms of knowledge of climate change. The thing is that the quality of production of wine has been transformed in the last couple of decades. Spanish wine producers, for example, seem to never fall below the Very Good category these days regardless of any weather conditions. There clearly is an ever increasing problem though. Despite the catastrophic flooding in Spain at the end of the year, it's clear to everyone that looks closely at the weather that huge parts of Spain are drying up badly. The ground water and aquifier levels due to farming practices are at catastrophe levels too.
In Western Australia where I live, 2024 saw the earliest harvest on record in some parts, with overall drought and heatwaves throughout the growing season. Some growers were picking Chardonnay & Chenin for sparkling wine production in December 2023 😮 due to the extreme heat and early ripening. Margaret River & Swan Valley saw 3 months with essentially zero rainfall, and mere average rainfall during winter has a lot of growers very worried about the health of their vines going into another hot dry summer. The white wines that are already on the market are ripe and juicy with plenty of acidification being employed, we haven't seen reds yet but most likely will be approachable fruit forward wines for early drinking, not for ageing. Of course there are some exceptions, but that's a general overview of Western Australia in 2024 😊
Looking forward to the Burgundy 23 vintage this year, not as warm as the 20 or 22 though, so more typical Burgundy. 2024 next year will be in short supply. Was reading that the Cote de Nuit volume has been catastrophic, particularly for some reds.
California 2024 vintage should overall be very good quality. There was a major heat spike during the summer, but came well before harvest, and harvest-time weather was very good. Growing season was average in length (unlike the very long 2023 season). Yields were lower than average in some locations, but were around average in most regions. Consensus seems to be that, among recent vintages, it’s much better than the awful 2020 and hot 2022 vintages, but not as good as 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023 vintages.
Worldwide wine consumption is also declining, so a low yield helps the wine industry to keep the price level, although I still think there is too much wine out there waiting to be sold. Young people not drinking wine is perhaps a bigger problem than the extreme climate for the wine industry ?
Both are factors! If drinking rates decline too fast then the industry may overproduce even with lowered yields... Which raises the question, how do we get young people interested in wine again?
@@bonnerprivatewines That is such a good question! Very complex i suppose, but probably the high price level plays a role, young people in general are under economic pressure.
Wine prices are dropping, but for the most part, only in the lower priced, lower quality wines. They were massively over planted. The top 10% of wines seem to be holding their own, and many sell out their small allocations in days. The top 3%? Doing just fine. Some of the really stupid prices have dropped, a little.
Interesting, do you think it’s because of economics of higher productivity vs demand . Or climate change? Or a combination of both? I have my thoughts. But as always regardless of the reason: Enjoy the sunlight held together by water.🍷
2024 is the golden year of the vineyard for Middle East countries. The best grapes in the last 12 years. As soon (after freedom in Iran) you can to taste and drink "real wine" from Shiraz city.
And after 1979, no one drank real wine, because the land of wine (Iran) is under the occupation of a criminal regime. So you don't taste around the world! Soon it will be possible for all wine lovers to taste real authentic wine from the land of "Shiraz" wine.
Happy New Year Julien. It's fascinating how wine producers really are at the forefront in terms of knowledge of climate change. The thing is that the quality of production of wine has been transformed in the last couple of decades. Spanish wine producers, for example, seem to never fall below the Very Good category these days regardless of any weather conditions.
There clearly is an ever increasing problem though. Despite the catastrophic flooding in Spain at the end of the year, it's clear to everyone that looks closely at the weather that huge parts of Spain are drying up badly. The ground water and aquifier levels due to farming practices are at catastrophe levels too.
In Western Australia where I live, 2024 saw the earliest harvest on record in some parts, with overall drought and heatwaves throughout the growing season. Some growers were picking Chardonnay & Chenin for sparkling wine production in December 2023 😮 due to the extreme heat and early ripening.
Margaret River & Swan Valley saw 3 months with essentially zero rainfall, and mere average rainfall during winter has a lot of growers very worried about the health of their vines going into another hot dry summer.
The white wines that are already on the market are ripe and juicy with plenty of acidification being employed, we haven't seen reds yet but most likely will be approachable fruit forward wines for early drinking, not for ageing.
Of course there are some exceptions, but that's a general overview of Western Australia in 2024 😊
Looking forward to the Burgundy 23 vintage this year, not as warm as the 20 or 22 though, so more typical Burgundy. 2024 next year will be in short supply. Was reading that the Cote de Nuit volume has been catastrophic, particularly for some reds.
The fact is: there is to much wine in the world. To make it rare while stocks are full, lets have a bad year🤷🏻♂
Seriously, cheers to that
True. To many wine makers. Not enough customers.
California 2024 vintage should overall be very good quality. There was a major heat spike during the summer, but came well before harvest, and harvest-time weather was very good. Growing season was average in length (unlike the very long 2023 season). Yields were lower than average in some locations, but were around average in most regions. Consensus seems to be that, among recent vintages, it’s much better than the awful 2020 and hot 2022 vintages, but not as good as 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023 vintages.
Worldwide wine consumption is also declining, so a low yield helps the wine industry to keep the price level, although I still think there is too much wine out there waiting to be sold. Young people not drinking wine is perhaps a bigger problem than the extreme climate for the wine industry ?
Both are factors! If drinking rates decline too fast then the industry may overproduce even with lowered yields... Which raises the question, how do we get young people interested in wine again?
@@bonnerprivatewines
That is such a good question! Very complex i suppose, but probably the high price level plays a role, young people in general are under economic pressure.
Wine prices are dropping, but for the most part, only in the lower priced, lower quality wines. They were massively over planted. The top 10% of wines seem to be holding their own, and many sell out their small allocations in days. The top 3%? Doing just fine. Some of the really stupid prices have dropped, a little.
Interesting, do you think it’s because of economics of higher productivity vs demand . Or climate change? Or a combination of both? I have my thoughts. But as always regardless of the reason: Enjoy the sunlight held together by water.🍷
2024 is the golden year of the vineyard for Middle East countries. The best grapes in the last 12 years.
As soon (after freedom in Iran) you can to taste and drink "real wine" from Shiraz city.
And after 1979, no one drank real wine, because the land of wine (Iran) is under the occupation of a criminal regime. So you don't taste around the world!
Soon it will be possible for all wine lovers to taste real authentic wine from the land of "Shiraz" wine.
Whilst NZ had one of the best vintages. drink NZ my friends
Annoying vlog click bait