increasingly early harvests

Never had the harvest started so early. Monday, July 25, Laurent Maynadier, winegrower for thirteen generations, was already kneeling near his vines to pick the grapes he is going to bottle. This is two weeks earlier than ten years ago, a sign that nature is ahead of the curve due to global warming. “Everything goes faster, it’s warmer”, he analyzes in the middle of his plot. A rise in mercury which can also modify the taste of wine with a sugar level which increases due to the sun.

A little further on, Marie Maynadier-Valette, oenologist, keeps watch to control the quality of the grapes. As a result of climate change, the soil is drying out and Laurent had to uproot 2,500 vines two months ago. “The plants have problems adapting and it may be necessary to find other vines, other hybrids or other grape varieties”, he concedes. The winegrower is looking into other crops such as aloe vera, which adapts perfectly to sandy soil with little clay. His liter from this plant, used for cosmetics, could earn him more than his wine.