The summer of 2022 was marked by drought. The result can be felt even in the vineyards, including in Mayenne. At the Domaine de la Morinière, in Saint-Denis-d’Anjou, in the south of the department, the grapes are suffering from the strong heat of the last few months. The harvest arrives earlier than expected: end of September, against October usually.
“We have already had the case of dry yearsexplains Didier Potrais, the president of the association for the Renaissance of a Vineyard in Mayenne (ARVEM) in charge of the estate, but at this point: never.” The 4,000 vines of white grapes, planted on almost one hectare at the end of the 1990s, are suffering from hydraulic stress. “Grains exposed to the sun do not swell, they are more like scalded, deciphers the enthusiast. Those won’t yield much wine.”
First year without stripping
Another representative aspect of global warming and its consequences on the vine: leaf stripping. “For the grape to ripen properly, we peel it a little to expose the grain to the sun”, continues Didier Potrais. Yet this year, this process did not take place, _“taking into account the weather conditions”_. “This is the first time this has happened”worsens the benevolent.
The harvest will be a little less voluminous, but still as qualitativenevertheless reassures Didier Potrais. Mayenne wine will be “very good, excellent, no doubt about it”, assures the president of ARVEM. The winemaker will publish the exact date set for the harvest on the social networks of the Domaine de la Morinière: all Mayenne residents are invited to harvest the grapes and taste the 2022 cuvée (in moderation).