Vintage Weather

2020 across the wine world

Every region on record for 2020, read the same way: temperature, rain, harvest timing, and the events that shaped the season.

Temperature
Cold → Hot
Argentina (Mendoza)

Hot · Drought, Hail, Frost

One of the hottest, earliest harvests on record, yet surprisingly fresh.

Harvested autumn 2020

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Bordeaux

Warm · Frost, Drought

The driest summer since 1959 gave an early harvest of great concentration.

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Burgundy

Hot · Drought, Heat spike, Low yield

The hottest, driest year yet produced surprisingly fresh, deeply colored wines.

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Champagne

Hot · Drought, Heat spike

Champagne's earliest-ever, hottest-driest harvest came in a pandemic year.

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Rhône Valley

Average

A wet winter and cool nights gave one of the earliest, freshest harvests.

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Mosel

Warm · Frost, Drought

One of the sunniest summers on record brought an early harvest of elegant, fresh wines.

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Barolo

Warm · Hail, Harvest rain

A warm, well-timed season built the most approachable Barolo in years.

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Tuscany

Warm · Frost, Low yield

Spring frost cut yields; a hot, dry summer made ripe, generous wines.

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Port & Douro

Hot · Drought, Heat spike, Low yield

Record July heat and near-zero rain made the smallest harvest this century.

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Rioja

Warm · Mildew / rot

A warm, wet spring triggered historic mildew, but skilled growers pulled through.

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Napa Valley

Warm · Frost, Drought, Heat spike, Smoke, Low yield

Two wildfires and widespread smoke cut the 2020 red crop sharply.

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Willamette Valley

Warm · Smoke, Drought, Low yield

Labor Day wildfire smoke reshaped what was already a small, high-quality crop.

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Sonoma

Warm · Heat spike, Smoke, Low yield

Catastrophic wildfires and smoke taint cut the crop by a third in a producer's vintage.

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Washington State

Average · Smoke, Heat spike, Low yield

September smoke paused harvest on a small crop that still showed balance.

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