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 20oC in March to -5o 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 -5oC
The danger is that the frost will kill off large numbers of early buds — which appeared in March as temperatures rose above 20o C — and disrupt the whole grape growing season.
The frost is particularly frustrating after a similar phenomenon hit French vineyards last year,