How Weather impacts the grape Harvest and Winemaking

At Château Canon Chaigneau, we talk a lot about terroir, grape variety, and vineyard care. But when harvest arrives, one factor dominates everything else: the weather.

The conditions in the very days and hours of picking can change the quality, flavour, and even the quantity of wine produced. Sunshine or rain at the wrong moment makes the difference between a smooth, balanced vintage and one that requires extraordinary effort.

Heat and early starts: 2022

In 2022, one of the hottest years on record, we started harvesting on 6 September, one of the earliest dates ever for Canon Chaigneau.

Why so soon, and very early in the day? Because in heat, grapes can arrive at the winery too warm, triggering fermentation before the winemaker is ready. Starting at dawn means bringing in cool fruit, preserving freshness and avoiding rushed fermentations.

That year, the weather during harvest demanded speed and precision, and rewarded us with grapes of remarkable concentration.

Rain interruptions: 2023 & 2024

By contrast, the 2023 and 2024 harvests brought a very different challenge: rain.

Picking under heavy rainfall is avoided whenever possible. Why?

• Dilution: rainwater swells the berries, diluting the juice and lowering concentration.

• Fragility: wet grapes have thinner skins, making them more likely to split or develop rot.

• Sorting pressure: rainy harvests mean more time on the sorting table, removing damaged fruit.

In 2023 and again in 2024, showers often forced us to pause picking and wait for the vines to dry. The harvest stretched out longer than usual, with patience and careful selection the only way to protect quality.

Timing is everything

These examples show how harvest is a race against the elements.

• Heat → start at dawn to keep fruit cool.

• Rain → pause and wait, even if it means losing time.

In both cases, the decisions taken during those few crucial days leave their mark on every bottle.

Conclusion

At Château Canon Chaigneau, the weather during harvest has shaped three very different vintages in recent years:

• 2022 — fast, early, precise, dictated by heat.

• 2023 & 2024 — careful, patient, interrupted by rain.

Beyond terroir and technique, these fleeting days of sun or rain decide the future of the wine. Each vintage is a dialogue not just with the soil, but with the sky above.