Vintage Weather

2012 across the wine world

Every region on record for 2012, read the same way: temperature, rain, harvest timing, and the events that shaped the season.

Temperature
Cold → Hot
Argentina (Mendoza)

Warm · Frost, Heat spike, Low yield

Frost and a hot Zonda wind cut yields sharply in a warm year.

Harvested autumn 2012

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Australia

Average · Low yield, Harvest rain

A cool start and dry, steady summer produced early, concentrated harvests nationwide.

Harvested autumn 2012

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Bordeaux

Cool · Mildew / rot, Harvest rain

A catastrophic wet April gave way to a hot summer, then October harvest rain.

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Burgundy

Average · Hail, Mildew / rot, Low yield

Repeated hail and mildew crushed yields, but a warm late summer made soft, ripe wines.

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Champagne

Warm · Frost, Hail, Mildew / rot, Heat spike

Frost, hail and mildew nearly ruined it, then an August heatwave saved it.

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Rhône Valley

Average · Mildew / rot

A wet, mildew-prone spring gave way to a warm, dry, elegant vintage.

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Mosel

Cool · Mildew / rot

A cool, mildew-troubled growing season was redeemed by a superb, late-picked autumn.

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Barolo

Cool · Hail

A cold, wet spring cut yields but built fresh, elegant wine.

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Tuscany

Hot · Drought, Heat spike, Low yield

One of Tuscany's driest summers made powerful, high-tannin, extracted wines.

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Rioja

Hot · Drought, Hail, Low yield

Spain's worst drought since 1945 produced a tiny but healthy, ripe crop.

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Napa Valley

Warm

A textbook warm season with even ripening and a return to normal crop size.

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Willamette Valley

Warm · Drought, Low yield

A short crop from a wet bloom, then 100-plus dry days to ripen it well.

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Sonoma

Average

A mild, even Goldilocks season delivered a generous, approachable bumper crop.

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Washington State

Warm

A warm, dry, even season returned normal timing and the biggest crop to that point.

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