Vintages › 2011

The 2011 vintage: weather around the world

In 2011, 25 of 41 regions here had a growing season more than 3% warmer than their 1991–2020 normal; 10 were more than 3% cooler. North of the equator that was 22 of 28 warmer (season April–October 2011); in the south 3 of 13 (October 2010 to April 2011).

Furthest above normalMargaret River +14%
Furthest belowWillamette Valley -12%
Wettest harvest windowColchagua Valley +125%
Driest seasonPriorat -44%

The warmest season since 2000 for Margaret River.

Every region's 2011 season on the heat scale

Growing degree days in 2011, 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)

Margaret River

Australia · Oct 2010–Apr 2011

Much warmer

Heat: 2,190 GDD +14%
Season rain: 300 mm +23%
Harvest rain: 6 mm -87%

Hot months: Feb +3.0° Mar +2.6°

Rank 1 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Ribera del Duero

Spain

Much warmer

Heat: 1,830 GDD +14%
Season rain: 108 mm -44%
Harvest rain: 17 mm -76%

Hot months: Apr +3.8° May +2.5° Sep +3.2° Oct +3.4°

Rank 6 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Bordeaux

France

Much warmer

Heat: 1,760 GDD +13%
Season rain: 286 mm -38%
Harvest rain: 87 mm -48%

Hot months: Apr +5.1° May +3.7°

Rank 6 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Rioja

Spain

Much warmer

Heat: 1,900 GDD +12%
Season rain: 170 mm -31%
Harvest rain: 34 mm -53%

Hot months: Apr +3.3° May +2.3° Sep +2.8° Oct +2.1°

Rank 8 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Douro Valley

Portugal

Much warmer

Heat: 1,840 GDD +11%
Season rain: 388 mm -19%
Harvest rain: 194 mm -15%

Hot months: Apr +4.0° May +2.6° Oct +2.9°

Rank 6 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Burgundy (Côte d'Or)

France

Much warmer

Heat: 1,550 GDD +10%
Season rain: 351 mm -23%
Harvest rain: 28 mm -57%

Hot months: Apr +4.5° May +3.7° Sep +2.3°

Rank 8 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Piedmont (Langhe)

Italy

Much warmer

Heat: 2,140 GDD +10%
Season rain: 254 mm -33%
Harvest rain: 68 mm -49%

Hot months: Apr +3.2° May +3.4° Sep +3.2°

Rank 6 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Jerez

Spain

Much warmer

Heat: 2,860 GDD +9%
Season rain: 189 mm -7%
Harvest rain: 18 mm -32%

Hot months: Jun +2.3° Oct +3.0°

Rank 4 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Chianti Classico

Italy

Much warmer

Heat: 1,880 GDD +9%
Season rain: 272 mm -44%
Harvest rain: 92 mm -55%

Hot months: Apr +2.3° May +2.4° Sep +3.2°

Rank 8 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Valpolicella

Italy

Much warmer

Heat: 2,210 GDD +8%
Season rain: 527 mm -6%
Harvest rain: 206 mm +12%

Hot months: Apr +3.3° May +2.2° Sep +3.1°

Rank 6 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Priorat

Spain

Much warmer

Heat: 2,390 GDD +8%
Season rain: 155 mm -44%
Harvest rain: 40 mm -66%

Hot months: Apr +2.5° Sep +2.3° Oct +2.1°

Rank 9 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Champagne

France

Much warmer

Heat: 1,270 GDD +8%
Season rain: 296 mm -19%
Harvest rain: 30 mm -40%

Hot months: Apr +4.4° May +2.5° Sep +2.2°

Rank 10 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Finger Lakes

United States

Much warmer

Heat: 1,460 GDD +8%
Season rain: 789 mm +39%
Harvest rain: 267 mm +70%

Hot months: Jul +2.4°

Rank 8 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Alsace

France

Warmer

Heat: 1,460 GDD +8%
Season rain: 320 mm -13%
Harvest rain: 70 mm -31%

Hot months: Apr +4.1° May +3.2° Sep +2.5°

Rank 11 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Northern Rhône

France

Warmer

Heat: 1,920 GDD +7%
Season rain: 433 mm -16%
Harvest rain: 49 mm -50%

Hot months: Apr +3.9° May +3.7° Sep +2.5°

Rank 12 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Central Otago

New Zealand · Oct 2010–Apr 2011

Warmer

Heat: 940 GDD +7%
Season rain: 377 mm +7%
Harvest rain: 92 mm +1%

Hot months: Nov +3.2°

Rank 12 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Rheingau

Germany

Warmer

Heat: 1,220 GDD +7%
Season rain: 287 mm -21%
Harvest rain: 51 mm -51%

Hot months: Apr +4.0° May +2.8° Sep +2.3°

Rank 11 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Marlborough

New Zealand · Oct 2010–Apr 2011

Warmer

Heat: 1,320 GDD +6%
Season rain: 410 mm -2%
Harvest rain: 154 mm +29%

Hot months: Nov +2.1°

Rank 8 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Loire Valley (Touraine)

France

Warmer

Heat: 1,470 GDD +6%
Season rain: 291 mm -18%
Harvest rain: 81 mm -33%

Hot months: Apr +4.4° May +2.7°

Rank 11 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Languedoc

France

Warmer

Heat: 2,170 GDD +6%
Season rain: 264 mm -15%
Harvest rain: 18 mm -70%

Hot months: Apr +2.7° May +2.0° Sep +2.5° Oct +2.1°

Rank 9 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Wachau

Austria

Warmer

Heat: 1,030 GDD +6%
Season rain: 452 mm -13%
Harvest rain: 128 mm +8%

Hot months: Apr +2.4° Sep +3.1°

Rank 12 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Southern Rhône

France

Warmer

Heat: 2,290 GDD +5%
Season rain: 324 mm -26%
Harvest rain: 74 mm -19%

Hot months: Apr +3.5° May +3.5° Sep +2.1°

Rank 11 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Niagara Peninsula

Canada

Warmer

Heat: 1,480 GDD +5%
Season rain: 684 mm +23%
Harvest rain: 196 mm +30%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 10 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Mosel

Germany

Warmer

Heat: 1,100 GDD +4%
Season rain: 338 mm -22%
Harvest rain: 28 mm -61%

Hot months: Apr +4.1° May +2.4°

Rank 15 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Tokaj

Hungary

Warmer

Heat: 1,500 GDD +3%
Season rain: 334 mm -18%
Harvest rain: 26 mm -73%

Hot months: Sep +4.3°

Rank 14 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Stellenbosch

South Africa · Oct 2010–Apr 2011

Near normal

Heat: 2,220 GDD +3%
Season rain: 212 mm -3%
Harvest rain: 42 mm -0%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 9 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Hawke's Bay

New Zealand · Oct 2010–Apr 2011

Near normal

Heat: 1,450 GDD +1%
Season rain: 683 mm +47%
Harvest rain: 334 mm +114%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 17 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Hunter Valley

Australia · Oct 2010–Apr 2011

Near normal

Heat: 2,390 GDD +0%
Season rain: 511 mm -6%
Harvest rain: 99 mm -42%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 16 of 26 for heat · Winkler V

Kakheti

Georgia

Near normal

Heat: 2,050 GDD -2%
Season rain: 503 mm +6%
Harvest rain: 72 mm -36%

Hot months: Jul +3.2°

Rank 21 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Mendoza (Luján de Cuyo)

Argentina · Oct 2010–Apr 2011

Near normal

Heat: 2,040 GDD -2%
Season rain: 133 mm -18%
Harvest rain: 17 mm -60%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 22 of 26 for heat · Winkler IV

Yarra Valley

Australia · Oct 2010–Apr 2011

Near normal

Heat: 1,530 GDD -2%
Season rain: 776 mm +60%
Harvest rain: 165 mm +30%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 20 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

McLaren Vale

Australia · Oct 2010–Apr 2011

Cooler

Heat: 1,820 GDD -4%
Season rain: 245 mm +34%
Harvest rain: 58 mm -4%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 23 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Barossa Valley

Australia · Oct 2010–Apr 2011

Cooler

Heat: 1,770 GDD -5%
Season rain: 295 mm +48%
Harvest rain: 74 mm +32%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 24 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Coonawarra

Australia · Oct 2010–Apr 2011

Cooler

Heat: 1,360 GDD -8%
Season rain: 442 mm +94%
Harvest rain: 101 mm +62%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 24 of 26 for heat · Winkler I

Colchagua Valley

Chile · Oct 2010–Apr 2011

Much cooler

Heat: 1,590 GDD -8%
Season rain: 183 mm +62%
Harvest rain: 90 mm +125%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 25 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Sonoma County

United States

Much cooler

Heat: 1,620 GDD -10%
Season rain: 174 mm +17%
Harvest rain: 65 mm +29%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 25 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Napa Valley

United States

Much cooler

Heat: 1,740 GDD -10%
Season rain: 133 mm +24%
Harvest rain: 44 mm +19%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 25 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Paso Robles

United States

Much cooler

Heat: 1,710 GDD -10%
Season rain: 49 mm -3%
Harvest rain: 27 mm +33%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 25 of 26 for heat · Winkler III

Maipo Valley

Chile · Oct 2010–Apr 2011

Much cooler

Heat: 1,650 GDD -11%
Season rain: 88 mm -1%
Harvest rain: 25 mm -31%

No month ran 2°C above its normal high

Rank 26 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Columbia Valley

United States

Much cooler

Heat: 1,410 GDD -11%
Season rain: 61 mm -10%
Harvest rain: 13 mm -48%

Hot months: Sep +2.9°

Rank 26 of 26 for heat · Winkler II

Willamette Valley

United States

Much cooler

Heat: 1,070 GDD -12%
Season rain: 320 mm +6%
Harvest rain: 86 mm -28%

Hot months: Sep +2.4°

Rank 24 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.