What Kind of Vintage 2022 Will Be Under the European Heatwave? 2022年的歐洲熱浪 今年的葡萄酒會好嗎?
2022年忙碌的採收季基本上已經完成。法國除了香檳地區少數釀造靜態葡萄酒的酒莊還在繼續著最後階段的採收，大部分酒莊都進入了最重要的釀造階段。
今年整個歐洲西部都受到極端熱浪的侵襲再加上頻繁的冰雹，暴雨導致有些萄酒農甚至損失了超過30%以上的收成。
l’Institut coopératif du vin (ICV)，法國最大的釀造顧問公司之一，發現由於今年的破紀錄熱浪導致了葡萄的加速成熟使得葡萄汁對氧化反應異常的敏感，這對於釀造有機葡萄酒或自然葡萄酒的酒莊來說將是困難的一年。布爾岡2022年份的白葡萄酒剛壓榨完就像稻草色一樣的金黃，這讓我幾位勃艮第葡萄酒學院的酒農同學感到了擔憂。幸好他們的葡萄酒在Débourbage(沈澱果渣)之後，顏色又恢復了正常。
過往，我們認為全球暖化對紅葡萄酒來說更好， 因為紅葡萄能獲得更多，質量更好的酚類化合物(Phenolic compounds)。可是在另外一方面，釀酒師們卻有了其他的難題，尤其是布爾岡的釀酒師們，因為他們需要找到一個既能夠維持布爾岡風格又可以保證葡萄酒有完美平衡性的釀造方式。這對於釀造優雅輕盈的布爾岡葡萄酒來說不是一件容易的事。
法國的酒農近年在不斷的探索如何對葡萄酒進行少一點的萃取，嘗試使用其他的發酵容器 ；例如泥陶罐，就是為了減少萃取橡木桶中的單寧來保持葡萄酒中的平衡性。
採收日期也變得越來越早，今年布爾岡的採收日期提前到了8月底，這在布爾岡的歷史上極為罕見。
除此之外，全球暖化對紅葡萄酒的影響，我們還可以從布爾岡的紅葡萄酒顏色變化來得到印證……30年前的布爾岡葡萄酒顏色是誘人的淡淡櫻桃色，而現在的布爾岡紅葡萄酒的顏色卻變得十分的深，酒精度也很高。
2022到底會是一個什麼樣的年份此刻我們還不知曉，但很快我們就可以從葡萄酒中感受到2022年歐洲熱浪帶來的衝擊。
The busy 2022 harvest season is almost complete, and the final stages of harvesting are continuing in France, with the exception of a few Champagne wineries making still wines. Most of the wineries are now in the most important stages of vinification.
This year the whole of western Europe has been hit by extreme heat waves combined with frequent hailstorms and torrential rains which have caused some winegrowers to lose more than 30% of their harvests.
l'Institut coopératif du vin (ICV), one of France's largest oenology consultancies, found that the record heatwave this year had led to an accelerated ripening of the grapes making the must unusually sensitive to oxidation, which would make it a difficult year for wineries making organic or natural wines. The Burgundy 2022 white wines were as golden in colour as straw right out of the pressing, which worried some of my fellow Burgundy University winemakers, but fortunately their wines returned to normal colour after the Débourbage (settling).
In the past, we thought that global warming was better for red wines because the red grapes were getting more and better quality phenolic compounds. But on the other hand, winemakers have other problems, especially in Burgundy, because they need to find a way to maintain the Burgundian style while ensuring that the wines are perfectly balanced. This is not an easy task when it comes to making elegant and light Burgundian wines.
In recent years, French winegrowers have been exploring ways of extracting less from their wines, experimenting with alternative fermentation vessels such as clay pottery, in order to reduce the extraction of tannins from oak barrels and to maintain the balance in their wines.
Harvest dates are also becoming earlier and earlier, with this year's Burgundy harvest being brought forward to the end of August, which is extremely rare in Burgundy's history.
In addition, the impact of global warming on red wines can be seen in the change in colour of Burgundy's red wines. Whereas 30 years ago Burgundy wines were an attractive pale cherry colour, today's red Burgundy wines have become very dark in colour and high in alcohol.
We don't know what kind of vintage 2022 will be, but soon we will be able to feel the impact of the 2022 European heatwave in our wines.
