Look at these amazing images! Winemakers in Côte-d’Or (Burgundy) had to lit up their wineyards to protect them from unusual frost and negative temperatures in the night from April 13 and April 14, 2019. Almost unseen at this time of the year!
And now a closer look:
Hundreds of people were mobilized at night to light and monitor straw fires (to create a smoke screen before sunrise) and braziers (to raise the temperature) to protect the buds from frost.
Encore une nouvelle nuit de protections des #vignes #Chablis et #chablisien,des premiers et grands crus.Bon courage à tous les #viticulteurs .La France et son #agriculture grelotte.
— Olivier COSTE (@OlivierCOSTE2) April 13, 2019
Aurons nous des conséquences ? pic.twitter.com/AhSwXjRedc
Indeed, with negative temperatures, buds will be caught in ice. If the sun rays hit the ice, there will be a magnifying glass effect that will burn the bud.
Courage aux vigneronnes et vignerons bourguignons ! ??#Bourgogne #wine #OnTheRoad pic.twitter.com/li52mzEeDs
— Fery Benoît (@benoit51390) April 14, 2019
So the heart of this technique is to create enough smoke by sprinkling the straw with water, in order to keep it moist.
The same was reported in the Chablis region:
Hopefully we will have a good WINE year! I really like Chablis 🙂
