Abundant Autumn Sun Improves Bordeaux Wine Harvest

Most famous French wines saw poor harvest this year, but Bordeaux enthusiasts can celebrate a rare vintage blessed by an abundance of autumn sun, local producers say.

Most famous French wines saw poor harvest this year, but Bordeaux enthusiasts can celebrate a "rare" vintage blessed by an abundance of autumn sun, local producers say.

With production estimated at between 5.2 and 5.4 million hectolitres, 2014 has proved another low-volume year in the southwestern area, but still better than the historic lows of 2013 when hailstorms helped ruin much of the crop.

Control Blood Pressure With Non-Alcoholic Red Wine
Drinking non-alcoholic red wine can help you combat heart diseases and keep your soaring blood pressure under control. The antioxidants present in red wine are helpful in controlling blood pressure.

At 3.8 million hectolitres, the 2013 harvest was the lowest since 1991.

According to Bernard Farges, president of the local committee for wine growers and traders, that harvest - coupled with the "lowest stocks in 15 years in Bordeaux" - left them struggling to compete in the fierce battle for market share.

Those losses have so far only been felt with wines that come quickly to market - such as the roses and Cotes de Bordeaux - but will continue to be felt through 2015 as wines that take longer to mature become ready to sell.

Anti-Ageing and Benefits of Red Wine-Starve and Live Long-Resveratrol Benefits
Ageing process has always been an enigma. Recent research indicates that red wine could delay the process.

"If there had been a 2014 harvest as bad as 2013, it would have been catastrophic for all the wine network, not just producers but also traders and all those in the network," said Farges.

He added the "perfect harvest conditions" meant 2014 would be remembered as a "happy harvest".