Vintage Weather
2021 across the wine world
Every region on record for 2021, read the same way: temperature, rain, harvest timing, and the events that shaped the season.
Northern hemisphere
April frost, a wet June and a cool summer gave Bordeaux a small, late 2021 crop.
An historic April frost and a wet summer left a tiny crop of fresh, light wines.
Frost, hail and persistent rain with mildew cut deep into a small crop.
April frost, rain and hail, a cool summer, then a late harvest of fresh wines.
April frost, a cold wet summer and a later harvest, with elegant wines expected.
A frost-hit, cooler year that gave fresh, fruity wines with lighter alcohol.
A cool, wet year of fungal disease gave small crops of fresh, classic Mosel Riesling.
Snow-fed reserves carried a dry year past April frost to small, healthy Nebbiolo.
April frost and a dry summer; less Brunello, and 4.5 stars for Vino Nobile.
A cool year with June hail and three harvest rains gave fresh, well-colored wines.
April frost and June hail tested a dry season; Rioja still rated it Muy Buena.
A dry drought year with very low yields and one of the earliest harvests on record.
A record heat dome hit before veraison and the fruit came through clean.
A dry, even, fire-free drought year that gave Sonoma a small, concentrated crop.
Record June heat cut yields and gave concentrated, powerful Washington reds.
Southern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere: the vintage year is the harvest year, so the growing season began in the previous calendar year (spring in September to October, harvest in February to April of the vintage year).
Frost, hail and February rain in a cool Mendoza year gave fresh, lower-alcohol wines.
Australia's coolest season in 10 years ended in its largest crush on record.