France's wine industry has been hit with a severe blow, but there may still be hope on the horizon.

Winemakers in Burgundy agree that 2021 will go down as one of the most devastating years they've experienced in recent memory.

The disaster struck in April.

As their vines began to bud, weather forecasts predicted a sharp and unexpected drop in temperatures.

For three nights, winemakers braved the cold, lighting candles in a desperate bid to protect their precious crops from frost damage.

Sadly, their efforts proved futile. The temperatures plummeted so drastically that in some areas, half the crop was destroyed, prompting France to declare an 'agricultural disaster.'

‘It’s a dramatic situation for all of us,’ Bichot tells Dinogo. ‘Burgundy is a small region, and for us, this is a heavy blow. But that’s the way life goes.’

‘The bright side is that we’ll have more grapes to harvest. The next crop is just 10 months away, so we must remain optimistic!’

Intense competition for the wine lots.

Despite Bichot’s cautiously optimistic outlook, the region’s winemakers received some encouraging news at the Hospices de Beaune charity auction held on Sunday, which is often seen as an indicator of the potential value of the year’s harvest.

The auction, hosted in the beautifully restored Hospices de Beaune, celebrates a long-standing tradition where the medieval almshouse would receive donated plots of vineyards from renowned wine villages like Gevrey-Chambertin, Vougeot, and Meursault.

Every year, on the third Sunday of November, the Hospices auctions off the year’s harvest in barrels, which will be aged and bottled by local winemakers, offering a closely watched early signal of the market’s expectations for the wine’s quality.

This year’s event, conducted by Sotheby’s, attracted hundreds of bidders, both in person and online, all vying for barrels filled with some of the world’s most prestigious wines.

Although there were fewer barrels available in the Hospices’ cellars this year—around half the usual amount, according to auction organizers—the event still brought optimism and joy to the region.

With so few barrels available, the bidding was intense from the outset, with bidders willing to spend more due to the charitable cause behind the sale.

Promising opportunities

Beyond supporting charity, the auction also brought some optimism, suggesting that even though this year’s harvest was smaller, the high prices could help offset some of the losses.

Bichot acknowledges that even significantly higher prices won’t fully compensate for the loss, but he emphasizes that France’s traditional winemakers are focused on the long-term vision.

‘When we plant a vineyard, it’s not just for next year, it’s for the generations to come,’ he explains. ‘We cultivate the land with a 50-60 year perspective, aiming to showcase the soil, the terroir, and the climate of Burgundy for future generations. This is our life, the life of our parents and grandparents... and for our children too.’

Despite the setbacks, Bichot sees a silver lining that others might have missed. He believes the small harvest has resulted in ‘a high concentration of the juice,’ which could translate into even better wine.

‘It’s still early to say for sure,’ he admits. ‘But the early tastings we’ve had so far are making us feel very optimistic.’

Moreover, he notes, the fact that the fate of one of the world’s finest luxury products is ultimately in the hands of nature keeps Burgundy’s winemakers grounded and humble.

‘We are fully aware of our humble place,’ he says. ‘And of how deeply we depend on nature.’