We had some bad luck in the early morning of the 5th when late season frost decimated thousands of hectares of vines in Germany. I was travelling to Hamburg and Berlin last week, but was kept informed by friends and colleagues in the Pfalz, Rheinhessen, and Franken throughout the ordeal. 2011 has started out with unusually warm weather and is quite early (three or four weeks ahead of schedule in the Pfalz). The new canes have been stretching skyward and some are already 12-18 inches long.
Most every region in Germany experienced negative temperatures, the worst hit being Franken where even some of the steepest vineyards got down to -5C. (As you may remember from science-class; warm air flows up, cold-air flows down and settles in the pockets at the bottom of the hill.) I’ve heard estimates of 30-50% damage of the 6000+ hectares in the region, including a high percentage of the Würzburger Stein, which is undoubtedly the most famous vineyard in all of Franken. This has gotten me thinking a lot about Franken and its love affair with Silvaner. Anyone who has tasted the better examples of Franconian Silvaner knows that this is a very special grape when grown on the right soil (which seems to be calcium-rich Limestone, Marls and Sandstone) and can produce some of the most firmly mineral white wines that the world knows outside of Chablis and perhaps Champagne. It seems to me that this relationship was probably consummated for far less sensual or artistic reasons than mere deliciousness. Silvaner is a very useful cultivar to have growing where frost is prevalent. More buds commonly emerge from the second year wood in Silvaner than in other varieties - taking the place of the damaged canes - and even the damaged canes themselves have a higher probability of producing new bunches. The Franken spring is not quite as far along as that of the Pfalz nor of the Rheinhessen, so there isn’t as much of a set-back from the shock of frost. It is the story of another ancient variety that has not only found a home, but has flourished deliciously in a sometimes less-than-hospitable environment. Silvaner rocks, y’all. Despite my optimism, it is still a devastating blow and I wish the growers of Franken my best.
The Rheinhessen and the Pfalz were also badly damaged (10-20% of the 50,000 combined ha), but only really in the deepest vineyards down on the plains (weather like this makes a great case for why those plains should be again planted to vegetables and fruit instead of vines). I can only hope that most of the Dornfelder and Müller-Thurgau of these regions has been eradicated and that next year the growers decide to plant more Asparagus and strawberries and mixed-crops of all kind (and is a Foie-gras farm too much to ask for?)
There were also negative temperatures reported in the Mittelrhein, Mosel, Nahe and Rheingau, but the devilishly steep grades in those regions have kept the damage to the better vineyards to a minimum.
What does it all mean? The best vineyards in the Pfalz, Mosel, Rheingau, Nahe, Rheinhessen, Mittelrhein, and Ahr are almost completely unaffected and on track for a very high quality year. Provided that the vines do recover and are able to overcome the set-back in the Frost-damaged areas, there is no reason to believe that good quality can’t still be achieved. But, the price of grapes is skyrocketing while growers and shippers are trying to lock-in now for the upcoming harvest. There is already a huge shortage of wine in the works from the miniscule 2010 vintage (which was 25% less productive than usual) and cellars are clearing very, very fast. German wine prices don’t look to be coming down anytime soon.
Cheers,
Bill