– English vineyards report ‘catastrophic’ damage:
“English wine crop ruined,” reads headline. Late frosts have caused devastation at British vineyards, warn wine producers.
Temperatures dropped to -6C (21F) over the past week or so, killing off the delicate buds.
As much as 90 percent losses
As a result, makers of fine English sparkling wines fear crop yields will collapse by as much as 80 per cent.
Chris White, the chief executive of Denbies Wine Estate in Surrey, said up to 75% of its crop was damaged by last week’s sub-zero temperatures.
“From what I hear the majority of English vineyards have been affected to some degree,” said White.
Chris Foss, head of the wine department at Plumpton College in East Sussex, said while some crops were unscathed others had been “decimated” with 90% of buds destroyed.
“I’ve been in English wine for 30 years and never seen anything like it,” said Foss. “It looks like there will be a 50% drop in this year’s expected yield – if not higher.”
Nick Wenman, owner of the Albury organic vineyard in Surrey, said the devastating freeze had damaged 80% of its vines. This despite lighting 500 candles and burners to warm the air,
Some of France’s most famous winemaking regions, including Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy, were also affected by last week’s severe frosts.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4471686/English-wine-crop-ruined-frosts-bite-warm-spell.html
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/may/02/english-vineyards-frost-champagne-bordeaux-burgundyThanks to Sonya Porter and JH Walker for these links
“Even the UK bastion of Green Socalism, the print cheer leader after the BBC for AGW and human induced Climate Change, the Guardian, reported on this,” says J.H.
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