Snapshots From The 2012 Wine Harvest

2012 was a bit of an atypical vintage across Europe. The weather was difficult through the spring and early summer, and even later in some regions, which generally delayed the vegetative cycle and set the vines back from the get-go.

Additional issues arose throughout the year, including high temperatures and either too much or too little rain, depending on where you were. In England, which is not exactly the most consistent wine-producing region, it has been a near disaster of a vintage with the most important winery, Nyetimber, opting to skip the vintage entirely.

Fortunately for many regions, rain, more moderate temperatures, and an Indian summer were able to rescue many vines. Still, many early harvested varieties were not able to shake the character imparted by the hot, dry summer growing season. Of course, there are different conditions and opinions regarding the quality we can expect from the top regions in Europe. In all likelihood, most of the opinions are based as much on hunch as on fact. We'll have to wait until the wines are made and have a chance to settle down before we will really know what they'll be like. For the sake of argument, here's a look at the early line on some of the most important regions.

Click here to see snapshots from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Tuscany, and more. 

— Gregory Del Piaz, Snooth