Vintages › 2020

The 2020 vintage: weather around the world

In 2020, 31 of 41 regions here had a growing season more than 3% warmer than their 1991–2020 normal; 0 were more than 3% cooler. North of the equator that was 23 of 28 warmer (season April–October 2020); in the south 8 of 13 (October 2019 to April 2020).

Furthest above normalChampagne +26%
Furthest belowYarra Valley -3%
Wettest harvest windowYarra Valley +86%
Driest seasonColchagua Valley -74%

The warmest season since 2000 for Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Maipo Valley, Colchagua Valley, Hawke's Bay.

Every region's 2020 season on the heat scale

Growing degree days in 2020, 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)

Champagne

France

Much warmer

Heat: 1,490 GDD +26%
Season rain: 287 mm -22%
Harvest rain: 46 mm -7%

Hot months: Apr +4.7° May +2.0° Aug +3.5° Sep +3.8°

Rank 3 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Napa Valley

United States

Much warmer

Heat: 2,330 GDD +20%
Season rain: 48 mm -54%
Harvest rain: 0 mm -100%

Hot months: Aug +2.5° Sep +2.6° Oct +4.7°

Rank 1 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Sonoma County

United States

Much warmer

Heat: 2,130 GDD +19%
Season rain: 78 mm -48%
Harvest rain: 0 mm -99%

Hot months: Sep +2.2° Oct +4.4°

Rank 1 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Burgundy (Côte d'Or)

France

Much warmer

Heat: 1,640 GDD +16%
Season rain: 398 mm -13%
Harvest rain: 57 mm -12%

Hot months: Apr +4.7° Jul +2.4° Aug +2.4° Sep +3.2°

Rank 5 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Maipo Valley

Chile · Oct 2019–Apr 2020

Much warmer

Heat: 2,140 GDD +15%
Season rain: 42 mm -53%
Harvest rain: 14 mm -63%

Hot months: Nov +3.7° Dec +3.1° Feb +2.2° Apr +2.0°

Rank 1 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Central Otago

New Zealand · Oct 2019–Apr 2020

Much warmer

Heat: 1,010 GDD +15%
Season rain: 402 mm +14%
Harvest rain: 78 mm -14%

Hot months: Nov +2.6°

Rank 9 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Loire Valley (Touraine)

France

Much warmer

Heat: 1,590 GDD +15%
Season rain: 341 mm -4%
Harvest rain: 142 mm +18%

Hot months: Apr +3.9° May +2.0° Sep +2.8°

Rank 7 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Colchagua Valley

Chile · Oct 2019–Apr 2020

Much warmer

Heat: 1,980 GDD +14%
Season rain: 29 mm -74%
Harvest rain: 6 mm -85%

Hot months: Nov +3.0° Dec +2.8° Feb +2.2° Apr +2.2°

Rank 1 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Alsace

France

Much warmer

Heat: 1,550 GDD +14%
Season rain: 319 mm -14%
Harvest rain: 96 mm -4%

Hot months: Apr +4.7° Jul +2.1° Sep +2.8°

Rank 5 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Mendoza (Luján de Cuyo)

Argentina · Oct 2019–Apr 2020

Much warmer

Heat: 2,370 GDD +13%
Season rain: 112 mm -31%
Harvest rain: 26 mm -40%

Hot months: Nov +2.4° Jan +2.1° Mar +3.3°

Rank 2 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Hawke's Bay

New Zealand · Oct 2019–Apr 2020

Much warmer

Heat: 1,610 GDD +12%
Season rain: 350 mm -24%
Harvest rain: 121 mm -22%

Hot months: Nov +3.8° Feb +3.4°

Rank 1 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Rheingau

Germany

Much warmer

Heat: 1,270 GDD +11%
Season rain: 264 mm -27%
Harvest rain: 94 mm -9%

Hot months: Apr +3.5° Aug +2.3° Sep +2.5°

Rank 8 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Mosel

Germany

Much warmer

Heat: 1,170 GDD +11%
Season rain: 343 mm -22%
Harvest rain: 93 mm +31%

Hot months: Apr +3.8° Aug +2.3° Sep +2.2°

Rank 8 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Rioja

Spain

Much warmer

Heat: 1,870 GDD +10%
Season rain: 258 mm +4%
Harvest rain: 74 mm +3%

Hot months: May +3.3° Jul +2.0°

Rank 9 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Paso Robles

United States

Much warmer

Heat: 2,090 GDD +10%
Season rain: 54 mm +5%
Harvest rain: 0 mm -98%

Hot months: Oct +2.5°

Rank 2 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Douro Valley

Portugal

Much warmer

Heat: 1,810 GDD +10%
Season rain: 503 mm +4%
Harvest rain: 241 mm +6%

Hot months: May +3.3° Jul +4.1°

Rank 7 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Northern Rhône

France

Much warmer

Heat: 1,960 GDD +9%
Season rain: 472 mm -9%
Harvest rain: 50 mm -48%

Hot months: Apr +3.6° Sep +2.3°

Rank 9 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Willamette Valley

United States

Much warmer

Heat: 1,340 GDD +9%
Season rain: 270 mm -11%
Harvest rain: 97 mm -18%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 10 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Columbia Valley

United States

Much warmer

Heat: 1,720 GDD +9%
Season rain: 46 mm -33%
Harvest rain: 11 mm -54%

Hot months: Apr +2.6°

Rank 11 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Bordeaux

France

Much warmer

Heat: 1,690 GDD +8%
Season rain: 706 mm +53%
Harvest rain: 278 mm +66%

Hot months: Apr +2.9° May +2.1°

Rank 9 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Hunter Valley

Australia · Oct 2019–Apr 2020

Warmer

Heat: 2,560 GDD +8%
Season rain: 524 mm -3%
Harvest rain: 283 mm +64%

Hot months: Nov +2.9° Dec +3.2°

Rank 6 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Finger Lakes

United States

Warmer

Heat: 1,450 GDD +8%
Season rain: 527 mm -7%
Harvest rain: 149 mm -5%

Hot months: Jul +2.2°

Rank 10 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Marlborough

New Zealand · Oct 2019–Apr 2020

Warmer

Heat: 1,320 GDD +6%
Season rain: 342 mm -19%
Harvest rain: 74 mm -38%

Hot months: Nov +2.2°

Rank 9 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Margaret River

Australia · Oct 2019–Apr 2020

Warmer

Heat: 2,030 GDD +6%
Season rain: 241 mm -1%
Harvest rain: 93 mm +82%

Hot months: Dec +2.3°

Rank 6 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Chianti Classico

Italy

Warmer

Heat: 1,820 GDD +5%
Season rain: 527 mm +8%
Harvest rain: 244 mm +20%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 13 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Southern Rhône

France

Warmer

Heat: 2,290 GDD +5%
Season rain: 389 mm -12%
Harvest rain: 58 mm -36%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 12 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Languedoc

France

Warmer

Heat: 2,160 GDD +5%
Season rain: 296 mm -5%
Harvest rain: 33 mm -44%

Hot months: May +2.2°

Rank 11 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Kakheti

Georgia

Warmer

Heat: 2,190 GDD +5%
Season rain: 404 mm -15%
Harvest rain: 66 mm -42%

Hot months: Jun +2.9° Jul +2.4° Oct +2.1°

Rank 14 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Piedmont (Langhe)

Italy

Warmer

Heat: 2,040 GDD +5%
Season rain: 372 mm -2%
Harvest rain: 114 mm -15%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 12 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Priorat

Spain

Warmer

Heat: 2,280 GDD +3%
Season rain: 305 mm +10%
Harvest rain: 33 mm -71%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 16 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Valpolicella

Italy

Warmer

Heat: 2,100 GDD +3%
Season rain: 731 mm +30%
Harvest rain: 257 mm +40%

Hot months: Apr +2.4°

Rank 15 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Jerez

Spain

Near normal

Heat: 2,670 GDD +2%
Season rain: 158 mm -22%
Harvest rain: 12 mm -54%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 15 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Ribera del Duero

Spain

Near normal

Heat: 1,630 GDD +2%
Season rain: 261 mm +35%
Harvest rain: 89 mm +28%

Hot months: May +2.6° Jul +2.5°

Rank 15 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Stellenbosch

South Africa · Oct 2019–Apr 2020

Near normal

Heat: 2,190 GDD +1%
Season rain: 210 mm -4%
Harvest rain: 11 mm -74%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 13 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Tokaj

Hungary

Near normal

Heat: 1,460 GDD +0%
Season rain: 516 mm +27%
Harvest rain: 123 mm +26%

Hot months: Apr +2.2° Sep +2.4°

Rank 18 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Coonawarra

Australia · Oct 2019–Apr 2020

Near normal

Heat: 1,470 GDD -1%
Season rain: 199 mm -13%
Harvest rain: 74 mm +20%

Hot months: Dec +3.0°

Rank 16 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Barossa Valley

Australia · Oct 2019–Apr 2020

Near normal

Heat: 1,850 GDD -1%
Season rain: 174 mm -12%
Harvest rain: 91 mm +61%

Hot months: Oct +2.2° Dec +3.4°

Rank 16 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

McLaren Vale

Australia · Oct 2019–Apr 2020

Near normal

Heat: 1,880 GDD -1%
Season rain: 186 mm +2%
Harvest rain: 87 mm +44%

Hot months: Dec +2.6°

Rank 18 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Niagara Peninsula

Canada

Near normal

Heat: 1,390 GDD -1%
Season rain: 452 mm -19%
Harvest rain: 110 mm -27%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 16 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Wachau

Austria

Near normal

Heat: 950 GDD -2%
Season rain: 661 mm +28%
Harvest rain: 165 mm +39%

Hot months: Apr +2.7°

Rank 19 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Yarra Valley

Australia · Oct 2019–Apr 2020

Near normal

Heat: 1,520 GDD -3%
Season rain: 629 mm +30%
Harvest rain: 236 mm +86%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 21 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

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.