The very start of flowering on the Merlot observed today in our Peyron plot

These extraordinary weather conditions, in any case, allow flowering under the finest conditions. Under rainy conditions or cool temperatures, fertilisation can be disrupted, thereby preventing the fruit—the grape berry—from forming. These lovely temperatures also have consequences for next year’s harvest (2023). It is during this period that the vine, through floral induction, determines the number of bunches its buds will bear the following year. The weather is naturally one of the criteria that have a favourable influence. But it is not the only one: good vine vigour and an absence of stress or deficiencies will also play a role. This clement weather is therefore good news for 2022 as well as for 2023. For 2022, however, we will need a little rain—but that is another story entirely!