Heatwave Provokes Bordeaux Fires

The UK recorded some of the highest temperatures on record at over 40°C on the 20th of July and fires broke out across England. For the WineCap team that was in Bordeaux at the time, it was an all too familiar scene.

France, like other countries on the continent, has endured sweltering temperatures in recent weeks. The combination of the mercury rising and the tinder-dry ground have provided the perfect conditions for forest fires which have ravaged large parts of South and South-West France since the 12th of July. Around Bordeaux, over 6,500 hectares have already been burnt in the Landiras commune and over 3,000 have been scorched in La Teste de Buch according to the Copernicus website.

While no vineyards have been directly affected yet, the fires have come too close for comfort for some producers. Loic Pasquet, owner of Liber Pater, based in the previously mentioned Landiras commune just North-West of Sauternes, revealed that a fire had come almost within 500m of his vines. Fortunately, it has now been fought back to 7km away.

Some 2,000 firemen and a combination of sea planes and water bombers have been battling the blazes in the region. This, combined with temperatures dropping from 41°C to ten degrees cooler, has provided a much needed respite and the forces are currently optimistic that they will be able to contain the fires unless circumstances change.        

Although Bordeaux has experienced large scale fires before – in 1949 and 1989 – none have been as severe as these. For wine lovers, the risk of fires and smoke taint affecting wineries and grapes is something that they’ll probably have read about most with California wines. In 2020, Napa’s ‘Glass Fire’ caused wineries Cain, Newton and Behrens Family on Spring Mountain to suffer complete losses.

It’s too early to tell in Bordeaux if smoke taint has affected grapes and therefore the 2022 vintage. Producers who think their vineyards may have come into contact with the smoke are being urged to take samples and perform tests. The mood in Bordeaux remains optimistic, but with the August and September months still to go before harvest, we’re sure many producers are keeping everything crossed.