Changing

... slowly the vines start to change colour. I'm not sure it's going to be very spectacular this year, as a lot of leaves have fallen off already due to drought. It's been a disastrous harvest. A young winemaker from the village, who set out to make wine on his own account a few years ago, has even set up a GoFundMe because he can't see any other way to survive. He reports his first four harvests as follows:

First year: devastating frost in April 2021, 90% of crop lost
Second year: start of drought conditions, 30% of crop lost
Third year: Extreme drought, weakening the plants: 50% of crop lost
This year: Hail in May 2024, continuing drought: 90% of crop lost.

Insurance pays out on the basis of the average crop over the last five years. As you can imagine, this is not good for him. And he's not alone; many young winemakers are in a similar situation, and those nearing retirement are pulling up vines and giving up, as no-one wants to take over. This landscape could change radically.