Vintages › 2015

The 2015 vintage: weather around the world

In 2015, 30 of 41 regions here had a growing season more than 3% warmer than their 1991–2020 normal; 1 were more than 3% cooler. North of the equator that was 23 of 28 warmer (season April–October 2015); in the south 7 of 13 (October 2014 to April 2015).

Furthest above normalWillamette Valley +25%
Furthest belowNiagara Peninsula -5%
Wettest harvest windowMargaret River +71%
Driest seasonColchagua Valley -61%

The warmest season since 2000 for Willamette Valley, Columbia Valley.

Every region's 2015 season on the heat scale

Growing degree days in 2015, 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)

Willamette Valley

United States

Much warmer

Heat: 1,540 GDD +25%
Season rain: 182 mm -40%
Harvest rain: 87 mm -27%

Hot months: Jun +5.5° Jul +2.7° Oct +3.1°

Rank 1 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Columbia Valley

United States

Much warmer

Heat: 1,930 GDD +22%
Season rain: 39 mm -43%
Harvest rain: 16 mm -33%

Hot months: May +2.3° Jun +5.7° Oct +3.4°

Rank 1 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Tokaj

Hungary

Much warmer

Heat: 1,640 GDD +13%
Season rain: 346 mm -15%
Harvest rain: 121 mm +24%

Hot months: Jul +2.9° Aug +3.8°

Rank 6 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Wachau

Austria

Much warmer

Heat: 1,090 GDD +13%
Season rain: 459 mm -11%
Harvest rain: 146 mm +23%

Hot months: Jul +3.4° Aug +3.6°

Rank 7 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Ribera del Duero

Spain

Much warmer

Heat: 1,800 GDD +12%
Season rain: 156 mm -19%
Harvest rain: 55 mm -21%

Hot months: May +2.7° Jul +3.3°

Rank 7 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Valpolicella

Italy

Much warmer

Heat: 2,260 GDD +11%
Season rain: 456 mm -19%
Harvest rain: 195 mm +7%

Hot months: Jul +3.7°

Rank 4 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Chianti Classico

Italy

Much warmer

Heat: 1,870 GDD +8%
Season rain: 499 mm +3%
Harvest rain: 264 mm +29%

Hot months: Jul +3.2°

Rank 9 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Priorat

Spain

Much warmer

Heat: 2,390 GDD +8%
Season rain: 247 mm -11%
Harvest rain: 135 mm +16%

Hot months: May +3.5° Jun +2.4° Jul +2.6°

Rank 7 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Colchagua Valley

Chile · Oct 2014–Apr 2015

Much warmer

Heat: 1,870 GDD +8%
Season rain: 44 mm -61%
Harvest rain: 7 mm -82%

Hot months: Mar +2.3° Apr +2.5°

Rank 4 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Kakheti

Georgia

Much warmer

Heat: 2,260 GDD +8%
Season rain: 574 mm +21%
Harvest rain: 178 mm +57%

Hot months: Jun +3.1° Sep +2.8°

Rank 7 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Burgundy (Côte d'Or)

France

Warmer

Heat: 1,520 GDD +8%
Season rain: 400 mm -12%
Harvest rain: 107 mm +65%

Hot months: Jun +2.3° Jul +4.0°

Rank 10 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Northern Rhône

France

Warmer

Heat: 1,930 GDD +8%
Season rain: 481 mm -7%
Harvest rain: 128 mm +32%

Hot months: Jun +2.5° Jul +4.1°

Rank 11 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Paso Robles

United States

Warmer

Heat: 2,050 GDD +8%
Season rain: 31 mm -39%
Harvest rain: 9 mm -55%

Hot months: Oct +2.6°

Rank 5 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Alsace

France

Warmer

Heat: 1,460 GDD +7%
Season rain: 295 mm -20%
Harvest rain: 100 mm -1%

Hot months: Jul +4.4° Aug +2.6°

Rank 13 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Douro Valley

Portugal

Warmer

Heat: 1,770 GDD +7%
Season rain: 496 mm +3%
Harvest rain: 280 mm +23%

Hot months: May +2.5° Jun +2.4°

Rank 9 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Finger Lakes

United States

Warmer

Heat: 1,440 GDD +7%
Season rain: 508 mm -11%
Harvest rain: 131 mm -17%

Hot months: May +3.7° Sep +2.8°

Rank 11 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Maipo Valley

Chile · Oct 2014–Apr 2015

Warmer

Heat: 1,980 GDD +7%
Season rain: 46 mm -49%
Harvest rain: 9 mm -76%

Hot months: Apr +2.5°

Rank 4 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Jerez

Spain

Warmer

Heat: 2,770 GDD +6%
Season rain: 201 mm -1%
Harvest rain: 12 mm -54%

Hot months: May +3.7° Jul +2.3°

Rank 7 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Sonoma County

United States

Warmer

Heat: 1,900 GDD +6%
Season rain: 76 mm -49%
Harvest rain: 18 mm -65%

Hot months: Oct +2.6°

Rank 7 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Napa Valley

United States

Warmer

Heat: 2,050 GDD +6%
Season rain: 55 mm -48%
Harvest rain: 14 mm -62%

Hot months: Oct +2.8°

Rank 7 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Hunter Valley

Australia · Oct 2014–Apr 2015

Warmer

Heat: 2,510 GDD +6%
Season rain: 693 mm +28%
Harvest rain: 121 mm -30%

Hot months: Nov +2.9°

Rank 9 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Southern Rhône

France

Warmer

Heat: 2,300 GDD +5%
Season rain: 439 mm -0%
Harvest rain: 72 mm -20%

Hot months: Jul +2.6°

Rank 10 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Mendoza (Luján de Cuyo)

Argentina · Oct 2014–Apr 2015

Warmer

Heat: 2,200 GDD +5%
Season rain: 178 mm +10%
Harvest rain: 51 mm +19%

Hot months: Oct +2.8°

Rank 11 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Rioja

Spain

Warmer

Heat: 1,790 GDD +5%
Season rain: 214 mm -13%
Harvest rain: 60 mm -16%

Hot months: Jul +2.2°

Rank 12 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Marlborough

New Zealand · Oct 2014–Apr 2015

Warmer

Heat: 1,300 GDD +5%
Season rain: 331 mm -21%
Harvest rain: 159 mm +34%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 12 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Central Otago

New Zealand · Oct 2014–Apr 2015

Warmer

Heat: 910 GDD +4%
Season rain: 331 mm -6%
Harvest rain: 107 mm +17%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 15 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Piedmont (Langhe)

Italy

Warmer

Heat: 2,030 GDD +4%
Season rain: 441 mm +16%
Harvest rain: 150 mm +12%

Hot months: Jul +2.9°

Rank 13 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Languedoc

France

Warmer

Heat: 2,130 GDD +4%
Season rain: 262 mm -16%
Harvest rain: 62 mm +6%

Hot months: Jun +2.1°

Rank 14 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Loire Valley (Touraine)

France

Warmer

Heat: 1,430 GDD +3%
Season rain: 313 mm -12%
Harvest rain: 107 mm -11%

Hot months: Apr +2.1°

Rank 13 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Stellenbosch

South Africa · Oct 2014–Apr 2015

Warmer

Heat: 2,240 GDD +3%
Season rain: 129 mm -41%
Harvest rain: 21 mm -50%

Hot months: Oct +2.1°

Rank 6 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Hawke's Bay

New Zealand · Oct 2014–Apr 2015

Near normal

Heat: 1,480 GDD +3%
Season rain: 331 mm -29%
Harvest rain: 150 mm -3%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 14 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Yarra Valley

Australia · Oct 2014–Apr 2015

Near normal

Heat: 1,600 GDD +2%
Season rain: 430 mm -11%
Harvest rain: 131 mm +4%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 16 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Rheingau

Germany

Near normal

Heat: 1,150 GDD +1%
Season rain: 288 mm -20%
Harvest rain: 115 mm +12%

Hot months: Jul +2.4° Aug +2.2°

Rank 16 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Champagne

France

Near normal

Heat: 1,180 GDD +0%
Season rain: 318 mm -13%
Harvest rain: 79 mm +60%

Hot months: Jul +2.3°

Rank 16 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Margaret River

Australia · Oct 2014–Apr 2015

Near normal

Heat: 1,910 GDD -0%
Season rain: 270 mm +11%
Harvest rain: 87 mm +71%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 17 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Bordeaux

France

Near normal

Heat: 1,560 GDD -0%
Season rain: 428 mm -7%
Harvest rain: 156 mm -7%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 15 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Barossa Valley

Australia · Oct 2014–Apr 2015

Near normal

Heat: 1,860 GDD -0%
Season rain: 205 mm +3%
Harvest rain: 91 mm +61%

Hot months: Oct +3.7° Feb +2.4°

Rank 14 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Coonawarra

Australia · Oct 2014–Apr 2015

Near normal

Heat: 1,470 GDD -1%
Season rain: 162 mm -29%
Harvest rain: 48 mm -23%

Hot months: Oct +2.8° Nov +2.1°

Rank 18 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

McLaren Vale

Australia · Oct 2014–Apr 2015

Near normal

Heat: 1,880 GDD -1%
Season rain: 163 mm -11%
Harvest rain: 84 mm +38%

Hot months: Oct +2.6°

Rank 17 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Mosel

Germany

Near normal

Heat: 1,030 GDD -3%
Season rain: 369 mm -16%
Harvest rain: 39 mm -45%

Hot months: Jul +2.1°

Rank 18 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Niagara Peninsula

Canada

Cooler

Heat: 1,350 GDD -5%
Season rain: 545 mm -2%
Harvest rain: 149 mm -1%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 19 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.