Vintages › 2012

The 2012 vintage: weather around the world

In 2012, 17 of 41 regions here had a growing season more than 3% warmer than their 1991–2020 normal; 12 were more than 3% cooler. North of the equator that was 11 of 28 warmer (season April–October 2012); in the south 6 of 13 (October 2011 to April 2012).

Furthest above normalKakheti +20%
Furthest belowMarlborough -11%
Wettest harvest windowLoire Valley (Touraine) +91%
Driest seasonColchagua Valley -52%

The warmest season since 2000 for Kakheti, Niagara Peninsula.

Every region's 2012 season on the heat scale

Growing degree days in 2012, with each region's difference from its own normal in the label. Colour shows how warm the season was for that region.

Warmest to coolest against normal

Much cooler (8%+ fewer GDD)
Cooler
Near normal (±3%)
Warmer
Much warmer (8%+ more)

Kakheti

Georgia

Much warmer

Heat: 2,510 GDD +20%
Season rain: 426 mm -11%
Harvest rain: 91 mm -20%

Hot months: Apr +5.5° May +3.1° Jun +2.0° Oct +2.6°

Rank 1 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Niagara Peninsula

Canada

Much warmer

Heat: 1,670 GDD +18%
Season rain: 525 mm -5%
Harvest rain: 218 mm +44%

Hot months: May +3.8° Jul +2.7°

Rank 1 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Tokaj

Hungary

Much warmer

Heat: 1,680 GDD +15%
Season rain: 375 mm -8%
Harvest rain: 104 mm +7%

Hot months: Jul +2.4° Sep +2.8°

Rank 2 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Margaret River

Australia · Oct 2011–Apr 2012

Much warmer

Heat: 2,170 GDD +13%
Season rain: 242 mm -0%
Harvest rain: 21 mm -58%

Hot months: Jan +2.4°

Rank 2 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Finger Lakes

United States

Much warmer

Heat: 1,500 GDD +11%
Season rain: 528 mm -7%
Harvest rain: 163 mm +4%

Hot months: May +2.8°

Rank 5 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Chianti Classico

Italy

Much warmer

Heat: 1,890 GDD +9%
Season rain: 486 mm +0%
Harvest rain: 215 mm +5%

Hot months: Aug +2.5°

Rank 6 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Coonawarra

Australia · Oct 2011–Apr 2012

Much warmer

Heat: 1,620 GDD +9%
Season rain: 214 mm -6%
Harvest rain: 56 mm -10%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 8 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Mendoza (Luján de Cuyo)

Argentina · Oct 2011–Apr 2012

Much warmer

Heat: 2,270 GDD +9%
Season rain: 117 mm -28%
Harvest rain: 24 mm -44%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 6 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Wachau

Austria

Warmer

Heat: 1,040 GDD +7%
Season rain: 465 mm -10%
Harvest rain: 93 mm -21%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 10 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Valpolicella

Italy

Warmer

Heat: 2,180 GDD +7%
Season rain: 560 mm -0%
Harvest rain: 193 mm +5%

Hot months: Aug +2.6°

Rank 10 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Priorat

Spain

Warmer

Heat: 2,320 GDD +5%
Season rain: 290 mm +5%
Harvest rain: 180 mm +55%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 14 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

McLaren Vale

Australia · Oct 2011–Apr 2012

Warmer

Heat: 1,990 GDD +5%
Season rain: 190 mm +4%
Harvest rain: 69 mm +14%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 10 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Southern Rhône

France

Warmer

Heat: 2,280 GDD +5%
Season rain: 446 mm +1%
Harvest rain: 86 mm -5%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 13 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Maipo Valley

Chile · Oct 2011–Apr 2012

Warmer

Heat: 1,920 GDD +4%
Season rain: 62 mm -30%
Harvest rain: 22 mm -39%

Hot months: Mar +2.2°

Rank 8 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Rioja

Spain

Warmer

Heat: 1,760 GDD +3%
Season rain: 278 mm +13%
Harvest rain: 94 mm +31%

Hot months: Jun +2.2° Aug +2.0°

Rank 17 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Northern Rhône

France

Warmer

Heat: 1,850 GDD +3%
Season rain: 580 mm +12%
Harvest rain: 112 mm +16%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 14 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Colchagua Valley

Chile · Oct 2011–Apr 2012

Warmer

Heat: 1,790 GDD +3%
Season rain: 54 mm -52%
Harvest rain: 23 mm -43%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 7 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Barossa Valley

Australia · Oct 2011–Apr 2012

Near normal

Heat: 1,920 GDD +3%
Season rain: 173 mm -13%
Harvest rain: 29 mm -48%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 10 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Yarra Valley

Australia · Oct 2011–Apr 2012

Near normal

Heat: 1,600 GDD +3%
Season rain: 602 mm +24%
Harvest rain: 141 mm +11%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 15 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Ribera del Duero

Spain

Near normal

Heat: 1,630 GDD +2%
Season rain: 214 mm +11%
Harvest rain: 76 mm +9%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 16 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Piedmont (Langhe)

Italy

Near normal

Heat: 1,980 GDD +1%
Season rain: 406 mm +7%
Harvest rain: 170 mm +27%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 18 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Languedoc

France

Near normal

Heat: 2,070 GDD +1%
Season rain: 325 mm +5%
Harvest rain: 39 mm -33%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 19 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Jerez

Spain

Near normal

Heat: 2,620 GDD +0%
Season rain: 264 mm +30%
Harvest rain: 49 mm +88%

Hot months: May +2.0°

Rank 19 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Columbia Valley

United States

Near normal

Heat: 1,580 GDD -0%
Season rain: 99 mm +45%
Harvest rain: 28 mm +13%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 18 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Willamette Valley

United States

Near normal

Heat: 1,220 GDD -0%
Season rain: 356 mm +18%
Harvest rain: 154 mm +29%

Hot months: Sep +2.1°

Rank 17 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Paso Robles

United States

Near normal

Heat: 1,900 GDD -0%
Season rain: 64 mm +25%
Harvest rain: 10 mm -51%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 11 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Central Otago

New Zealand · Oct 2011–Apr 2012

Near normal

Heat: 870 GDD -1%
Season rain: 321 mm -9%
Harvest rain: 73 mm -20%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 18 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Burgundy (Côte d'Or)

France

Near normal

Heat: 1,400 GDD -1%
Season rain: 548 mm +20%
Harvest rain: 88 mm +36%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 17 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Stellenbosch

South Africa · Oct 2011–Apr 2012

Near normal

Heat: 2,130 GDD -1%
Season rain: 268 mm +23%
Harvest rain: 47 mm +13%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 22 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Bordeaux

France

Cooler

Heat: 1,510 GDD -3%
Season rain: 561 mm +22%
Harvest rain: 198 mm +18%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 18 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Alsace

France

Cooler

Heat: 1,310 GDD -3%
Season rain: 388 mm +5%
Harvest rain: 101 mm +0%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 21 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Champagne

France

Cooler

Heat: 1,110 GDD -6%
Season rain: 459 mm +25%
Harvest rain: 58 mm +17%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 23 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Napa Valley

United States

Cooler

Heat: 1,810 GDD -6%
Season rain: 79 mm -26%
Harvest rain: 27 mm -28%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 23 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Rheingau

Germany

Cooler

Heat: 1,060 GDD -7%
Season rain: 410 mm +13%
Harvest rain: 115 mm +11%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 21 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Loire Valley (Touraine)

France

Cooler

Heat: 1,270 GDD -8%
Season rain: 541 mm +51%
Harvest rain: 230 mm +91%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 24 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Sonoma County

United States

Cooler

Heat: 1,650 GDD -8%
Season rain: 112 mm -25%
Harvest rain: 42 mm -18%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 22 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Mosel

Germany

Much cooler

Heat: 970 GDD -9%
Season rain: 551 mm +26%
Harvest rain: 105 mm +47%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 25 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Hawke's Bay

New Zealand · Oct 2011–Apr 2012

Much cooler

Heat: 1,310 GDD -9%
Season rain: 652 mm +41%
Harvest rain: 275 mm +77%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 26 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Hunter Valley

Australia · Oct 2011–Apr 2012

Much cooler

Heat: 2,150 GDD -10%
Season rain: 758 mm +40%
Harvest rain: 236 mm +37%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 26 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Douro Valley

Portugal

Much cooler

Heat: 1,490 GDD -10%
Season rain: 479 mm -1%
Harvest rain: 204 mm -10%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 25 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Marlborough

New Zealand · Oct 2011–Apr 2012

Much cooler

Heat: 1,100 GDD -11%
Season rain: 530 mm +26%
Harvest rain: 109 mm -8%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 26 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

The weather of a season, not a verdict on its wines. Growers pick earlier in hot years and fight rot in wet ones; good and poor wines come from both.