Our vines are our raw material and we have to take care of them. But not everything can be controlled by man. The climate and weather conditions have a huge impact on the development of the vines and therefore on future harvests. Here, we'll take a look at the vines in Cognac.<\/p>\n
Vines need a favourable climate to develop and produce perfectly ripe grapes.<\/p>\n
The first criterion to take into account is rainfall. Yes, vines need rain! The ideal amount of water is between 400 and 600 mm per year. This is very important for flowering, but also to ensure that the berries concentrate enough sugar.<\/p>\n
Temperature is also a key factor. Vines don't like extreme conditions. The grape varieties we use for our cognacs and pineaux are adapted to a fairly temperate climate, neither too cold nor too hot.<\/p>\n
Finally, we need to take sunlight into account. The grape varieties used for cognac don't need too much sunshine. The more sun there is, the sweeter the wines will be. But we're looking for wines that are acidic and not too sweet.<\/p>\n
All these conditions combine to give the vines optimum development. However, there are often climatic hazards that the vineyard has to contend with.<\/p>\n
The climate often plays tricks on us, and the vineyards pay the consequences. So we need to be very vigilant and take good care of our vines to optimise future harvests. But what are the weather threats facing Cognac's vines?<\/p>\n
No corner of the world has been spared: global warming is here and now. In summer, this can lead to temperatures approaching 40 degrees, and that's no fun for the vines. As a result, we can find grapes that have been \u2018toasted\u2019 by the sun and heat. This usually happens when it's very hot all at once.<\/p>\n
Frost is another climatic event that can have a major impact on yields. It's not the winter frost that's the most dangerous, because the vines are dormant. The most dangerous is the appearance of frost in the spring!<\/p>\n
In April\/May, this is not uncommon, but the consequences can be disastrous. As the vine has already started to develop, it can destroy it and prevent it from developing again.<\/p>\n
Finally, bad weather, and more specifically hail, is a phenomenon that no winegrower wants to experience. But hailstorms do happen, and they can destroy an entire vineyard. In this case, you have to rely on luck!<\/p>\n