An Early Look at 2012 Vintages

Across most of wine-producing Europe, the 2012 grape harvest is finished. How does the vintage look? Well, generalizations are always hazardous at this early stage, but 2012 seems even more heterogeneous than usual.

One thing is clear. Volume is down, especially in southerly vineyard regions but also in places like Burgundy. Lobbying groups for European vintners wasted little time in lamenting this fact, predicting deepening economic hardship for producers, many of whom have already been struggling (unless they own a grand cru vineyard).

But quantity does not equal quality, and from a consumer perspective 2012 is looking more mixed.

True, Bordeaux, which tends to set the general tone of a European vintage because of the size and prominence of its output, is talking about a “winemaker's vintage” â€" a euphemism for “buyer beware.” In Champagne, much of the crop was wiped out by frost; don't expect a lot of houses to make any 2012 vintage wines at all.

Elsewhere, however, there are signs of promise. Françoise Dijon, head of quality analysis at Inter-Rhone, the trade association for vintners in the Rhone Valley of France, compared 2012 to 2007, one of the best vintages of recent years.

“Both show elegance, finesse and an excellent flavor profile,'' she said in a statement.

German vintners, too, are talking up 2012, calling in a “classic” year. And in Burgundy, producers are optimistic that, despite low yields, the vintage will produce some excellent wines.

Having visited some of these regions in the spring and early summer of 2012, I'm surprised by this turn of events. For back then, it looked like the vintage would be an outright disaster. In May and June, the rain didn't stop falling. The grapes were late to develop, and rot was widespread.

But the weather improved in July and August, saving the vintage â€" in at least some regions.

In Italy, Spain and other Mediterranean re gions, conversely, the problem was too little rain; some growing areas were struck by a summerlong drought. Yields in some regions of Spain and Italy are said to be down 50 percent, though the surviving grapes are reportedly good, at least in places.

So 2012 will be a vintage that will require careful selection. Stay tuned.