2024

A year of extremes and transitions — 2024 delivered dramatic vintage contrasts shaped by climate stress, geopolitical tension, and a shifting wine economy. From sun-scorched vineyards to cool, late-ripening sites, the year tested growers’ adaptability and rewarded precision farming.

🗓️ Historic Moments

  • 🌊 El Niño drives chaotic global weather — heatwaves, floods, and drought reshuffle growing seasons

  • 🎭 Barbenheimer phenomenon breaks box office records — Barbie and Oppenheimer define cultural duality

  • 🗳️ U.S. presidential race dominates headlines — record early turnout, polarized climate focus

  • 🌾 Global food inflation eases — but wine and luxury goods remain volatile

  • 🛰️ AI tools hit the mainstream — ChatGPT and Midjourney reshape creative industries

  • 🕊️ Ukraine conflict grinds on — European stability continues to feel the ripple

  • 📉 China’s economy slows further — impacting global trade and wine exports

🇫🇷 Bordeaux (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: Maritime | 75–86°F (24–30°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: Hot and dry early summer followed by an erratic, storm-prone August

Challenges/Highlights: Mildew in the spring; some hydric stress mid-summer; September saved the reds

Harvest Window: Whites picked early September; Reds mid- to late September

Reception & Scores: Too early for full assessment — mixed early reports; structured reds in top terroirs

Aging Potential: Reds show promise in structured zones; whites more variable

🇫🇷 Burgundy (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: Continental | 70–82°F (21–28°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: Cool spring, hot July, then August storms and uneven ripening

Challenges/Highlights: Coulure in Chardonnay; Pinot struggled with botrytis in some sectors

Harvest Window: Early sites picked late August; others lingered into mid-September

Reception & Scores: Volatile but potentially great for reds in Côte de Nuits

Aging Potential: Lower alcohol, higher acid profile = classic aging potential for top sites

🇫🇷 Rhône Valley (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: Mediterranean (South) / Continental (North) | 78–92°F (26–33°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: Blistering summer heat with sustained drought in the South

Challenges/Highlights: Vines struggled in sandy soils; late-ripening plots fared best

Harvest Window: Mid-September through early October

Reception & Scores: Southern Rhône powerful but rustic; Northern Rhône more balanced

Aging Potential: Structured, age-worthy reds from Hermitage and Cornas

🇫🇷 Champagne (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: Cool Continental | 68–77°F (20–25°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: Cold, wet spring followed by sudden heat spikes in July

Challenges/Highlights: Uneven flowering; botrytis pressure surged by harvest

Harvest Window: Varied by site, with some rushed picks in early September

Reception & Scores: Quality highly site-dependent; Meunier outperformed in several villages

Aging Potential: Best suited for NV blends; few vintage declarations expected

🇮🇹 Piedmont (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: Continental | 75–86°F (24–30°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: Classic continental pattern with warm, dry conditions from June onward

Challenges/Highlights: Ideal for Nebbiolo — long hang time, small berries, deep color

Harvest Window: Mid-October for Barolo and Barbaresco

Reception & Scores: Early buzz calls this a standout Barolo vintage

Aging Potential: High — dense tannin + acid backbone = decades of potential

🇮🇹 Tuscany (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: Mediterranean | 80–91°F (27–33°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: Scorching midsummer with cool nights from mid-August

Challenges/Highlights: Some Sangiovese shrivel; irrigation key in hotter sites

Harvest Window: Late September to early October

Reception & Scores: Structured, bold wines in coastal Maremma; Chianti Classico more restrained

Aging Potential: Moderate to high, depending on altitude and water stress

🇪🇸 Rioja & Ribera del Duero (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: Continental | 81–93°F (27–34°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: Drought and heat defined the season, especially inland

Challenges/Highlights: Ribera saw significant crop reduction; Rioja Alta fared better

Harvest Window: Rioja: early September; Ribera: mid-September

Reception & Scores: Concentrated, low-yield vintage with high color and extract

Aging Potential: Ribera shows aging promise if alcohol is in check

🇩🇪 Mosel (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: Cool Continental | 68–77°F (20–25°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: Cool, wet start followed by dry, golden fall

Challenges/Highlights: Significant mildew pressure, but late season saved quality

Harvest Window: Late October through early November

Reception & Scores: Kabinett and Spätlese shine; yields down

Aging Potential: Excellent for structured off-dry styles

🇺🇸 Napa Valley (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: Mediterranean | 83–95°F (28–35°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: Dry winter, early budbreak, then moderate summer heat

Challenges/Highlights: Smaller berries, some shatter; drought effects on canopy

Harvest Window: Mid-August to late September

Reception & Scores: Cabernet shows promise; Chardonnay more mixed

Aging Potential: Potentially great for structured mountain fruit

🇺🇸 Sonoma (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: Cool to Warm Mediterranean | 75–89°F (24–32°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: Balanced season with mild early summer and ideal September

Challenges/Highlights: Some pressure from spring frost in higher vineyards

Harvest Window: Mid-August to early October

Reception & Scores: Russian River Pinot and coastal Chardonnays are standouts

Aging Potential: Very good — freshness and moderate alcohols

🇺🇸 Willamette Valley (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: Maritime | 72–85°F (22–29°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: Classic Oregon vintage — cool spring, warm July, crisp fall

Challenges/Highlights: Pinot Noir benefited from long hang time; Chardonnay precise

Harvest Window: Mid- to late October

Reception & Scores: Early reports suggest a return to finesse and balance

Aging Potential: Moderate to high for Pinot from Dundee, Eola-Amity

🇺🇸 Washington State (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: Continental | 80–93°F (27–34°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: Hot early summer with cooler harvest period

Challenges/Highlights: Eastern vineyards saw drought pressure; Red Mountain thrived

Harvest Window: Late August through mid-October

Reception & Scores: Cabernet and Syrah from top sites look excellent

Aging Potential: High for reds; whites show vibrancy but lower yields

🇦🇺 Barossa Valley & Margaret River (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: Warm Mediterranean (Barossa) / Maritime (Margaret River) | 82–96°F (28–36°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: El Niño impact = lower rainfall, warmer nights

Challenges/Highlights: Early harvest in Barossa; some water rationing in Riverland

Harvest Window: Barossa: early February; Margaret River: late March

Reception & Scores: Margaret River Chardonnay elegant; Barossa Shiraz rich but ripe

Aging Potential: Strong in Western Australia; mixed in hotter zones

🇿🇦 South Africa (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: Mediterranean | 77–90°F (25–32°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: Ideal vintage with cool spring and warm, dry harvest

Challenges/Highlights: Minimal disease; high phenolic ripeness in reds

Harvest Window: Early February through March

Reception & Scores: Chenin Blanc and Syrah deliver standout wines

Aging Potential: Excellent — freshness + concentration = cellar-worthy

🇦🇷 Argentina - Mendoza (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: High-Altitude Continental | 77–91°F (25–33°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: Mendoza saw warmer-than-usual nights and light frost events

Challenges/Highlights: Irrigation was key; Uco Valley showed balance

Harvest Window: March to early April

Reception & Scores: High acid and color — especially in Malbec

Aging Potential: Very good in high-altitude zones

🇨🇱 Chile - Maipo Valley & Casablanca (2024)

🌡️ Temperature Summary: Mediterranean with Coastal Influence | 75–89°F (24–32°C) avg daytime highs

Weather Summary: Warmer overall, with early harvests in Casablanca and Maipo

Challenges/Highlights: Dry season = small, intense berries

Harvest Window: Casablanca: February; Maipo: March

Reception & Scores: Elegant coastal whites; bold Cabernets inland

Aging Potential: Excellent structure for Maipo reds