Winemaking disasters: When wine goes wrong…

Making wine is not easy. From natural disasters and vineyard pests to human error and deliberate sabotage, Matt Walls shares some of the trials and tribulations that winemakers have overcome to get the bottle to your table...

The morning after frost in Burgundy, April 2016. Fires have been lit around vineyards in an effort to keep buds warm. Credit: Frederic Billet / @fredericbillet1 / Twitter
The morning after frost in Burgundy, April 2016. Fires have been lit around vineyards in an effort to keep buds warm. Credit: Frederic Billet / @fredericbillet1 / Twitter

Every bottle of wine you open represents a minor triumph. Despite the countless things that can go wrong in the vineyard and the cellar, some determined individuals nurtured the vines, harvested the grapes and turned the juice successfully into wine.

Few growing seasons pass without incident, but most issues can be treated, rectified or solved along the way. There are some events, however, that are so severe there’s nothing a winemaker can do to overcome them. Whether it’s a catastrophic weather event, an invasion of pests, rampant disease or disasters in the winery, occasionally winemakers must face their worst nightmares.

Translated by ICY

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