Winemakers in France lit oil drums across their vineyard to avoid frost damage

Randi MannDigital Reporter

On this day in weather history, Burgundy, France, was under a frost alert.

This Day In Weather History is a daily podcast by Chris Mei from The Weather Network, featuring stories about people, communities and events and how weather impacted them.

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On Sunday, Apr. 14, 2019, the famous wine region, Burgundy, France, was under a frost alert. The artisans who produced wine in that region, namely Chassagne-Montrachet, did what was necessary to protect the grapes from the chilly night.

An entire crop of grapes could be destroyed by a spring frost. During winter, grapevines are dormant, so they can easily withstand temperatures as cold as - 15 °C. In the spring, the vines start to sprout, and the buds and shoots are vulnerable to colder temperatures.

Chassagne-Montrachet Courtesy: Instagram / vincentdancer_chassagne

Chassagne-Montrachet. Courtesy of Instagram/vincentdancer_chassagne

Frost occurs when the temperature drops below 0 °C. The buds and shoots that the vines produce have water in them, so when they freeze, the cell walls burst.

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Winemakers try their best to limit vine frost damage so they employ strategies to keep their crops healthy. On Apr. 14, the team at Chassagne-Montrachet lit oil drums throughout their vineyards.


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Some vineyards use large candles called bougies to give off heat. Winemakers have various techniques to keep their vines warm.

Winemakers in Burgundy will stay up overnight constantly checking the weather forecast for frost. As soon as temperatures drop below freezing, the vineyard's team quickly lights the bougies.

Chassagne-Montrachet Courtesy: Instagram / vincentdancer_chassagne

Chassagne-Montrachet. Courtesy of Instagram/vincentdancer_chassagne

The team at Chassagne-Montrachet saved the vines and the grapes during the frost, but other vineyards faced serious damage.

To learn more about the frost alert and Chassagne-Montrachet's grape-saving techniques, listen to today's episode of "This Day In Weather History."

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Thumbnail: Instagram/vincentdancer_chassagne