The Dark Side of Winemaking

Written on 9 April, two days after the most severe frost event in 51 years, the article records an Arctic air mass that drove temperatures to approximately −6°C. Between 50% and 70% of the vines suffered permanent damage, and the team expected to lose at least half of the 2021 production.

The frost frames a broader account of agricultural uncertainty: hail, wind, drought, extreme rain, downy mildew, oidium, botrytis, esca, viruses, insect pressure, deer and wild boar can all undo a season’s work. Risk continues after harvest because spontaneous fermentation without industrial yeast or corrective additives is difficult to predict.

Long ageing introduces further concerns, including Brettanomyces, unwanted oak influence and mousiness. Small sulphite additions provide limited protection, while cork taint and quercetin precipitation remain possible after bottling. The piece concludes that only deep attachment to farming, vines and wine makes this continuous exposure to uncertainty sustainable for the people doing the work.