Vintage Weather
1985 across the wine world
Every region on record for 1985, read the same way: temperature, rain, harvest timing, and the events that shaped the season.
Heat, drought stress, and a wet March made for an uneven, forgettable year.
Harvested autumn 1985
A cold, damp spring gave way to a record-dry September that saved the year.
Savage January frost gave way to near-drought heat, making sweet, lush reds.
A brutal winter freeze cut yields, but a cool season kept the wine precise.
Winter frost gave way to a hot, dry, aromatic summer with a large crop.
A brutal January freeze and wet summer were rescued by a sunny, dry autumn.
A warm, healthy summer after a poor 1984 built a landmark year.
Warm, mostly dry weather from June through harvest made a classic year.
A hot, rainless July and August stressed vines into thick-skinned fruit.
A record-large harvest that quietly outperformed its official Good rating.
A calm, balanced season: no heat spikes, no harvest rain, no disease.
A rare hot, dry year that helped prove Oregon could rival Burgundy.
A cool spring and warm, dry summer gave the vintage textbook balance.