French vineyards – late frosts

French vineyard owners are lighting candles to thaw their grapevines as a late frost after an early Spring warm spell threatens fruit crops across western Europe:-

• Temperatures have dropped from a high of 20^oC in March to -5^o C in April
• Some wine growers are using candles, others sprayed water to protect the buds from frost
• In April 2021 frost led to a major drop in yields for many French vineyards.

Ice-coated vines could be seen around Chablis as the Burgundy region experienced temperatures of -5^oC

The danger is that the frost will kill off large numbers of early buds — which appeared in March as temperatures rose above 20^o C — and disrupt the whole grape growing season.

The frost is particularly frustrating after a similar phenomenon hit French vineyards last year,