Winemakers in France’s Jura region expect a dramatically smaller harvest, an unusually wet autumn, and early frost, with the conditions posing what wine industry website Vinteur calls an “existential threat” to a region long celebrated for its authenticity and traditional methods.
The 2024 harvest, already delayed until September, is expected to see losses of 60 to 70 percent across many vineyards. Winemaker Benoît Sermier emphasised the impact of frost, as well as a late April cold snap scorching vulnerable young shoots, in his comments to Vinetur. It’s not the first time in recent years that harsh frosts have impacted yields – 2017, 2019 and 2021 also saw significant losses – but the estimated losses are unmatched in the last 25 years.
Another contributing factor came last autumn as persistent rainfall promoted the spread of mildews and fungal diseases, serious threats which require frequent treatment to mitigate and may impact next year’s harvest as well.
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Both weather phenomena have hit new and organic farmers the hardest. New farmers lack the stockpiles of older wines held by their more established counterparts, which help buffer them from the financial impacts of lean years, and are less likely to have the capital to maintain operations. Organic farmers are also feeling the squeeze as they have fewer tools to mitigate threats like mildew and frost.
Grape cultivation in Jura, tucked between Burgundy and the eastern border with Switzerland, has always been a delicate balancing act thanks to its unique climate. Finding that balance is what gives the region its distinctive wines but as climate change worsens, concerns are growing that balance may no longer be possible. The predictability of the growing season as a whole is eroding, and options to mitigate impacts like frost and mildew are more than many winemakers can afford.
Jura is not alone in struggling to maintain its traditional crops in the face of an increasingly erratic and hostile climate. From cocoa farmers in West Africa to napa cabbage farmers in South Korea, many growers face the prospect of their livelihoods disappearing in a warming world.
