Wine is more than just a beverage for many; it’s a link to the culture, passion, history and traditions of centuries of hard-fought agriculture leading to perfection you can enjoy in every glass.

That may sound a bit over the top, but what can’t be disputed, although often forgotten, is that wine is very much a farming product. This means that the story of any bottle of wine will be intricately linked to the conditions of the vineyard, the care of the winemaker and, perhaps most importantly, the quality of the harvest in any one year.

While excellent harvests often lead to celebrated vintages that inspire collectors, investors, and enthusiasts alike, poor harvests are a different story. A poor harvest can damage reputations, and balance sheets and at worst send ripples through the entire wine world. They can affect everything from the taste of your favourite bottle to its price and availability.

The Role of the Harvest in Wine Quality

As any winemaker will tell you, it’s impossible to make good wine from bad grapes. The quality of any wine, therefore, starts in the vineyard. Many factors will determine the outcome of any season’s crop, including the climate, weather patterns, soil conditions, and viticultural practices that all impact the quality of the grapes, and thus the wine.

When winemakers talk about a “good” or “bad” harvest, they are typically referring to how these variables have combined in a given year.

A good harvest means grapes have ripened fully and develop the ideal balance of sugars, acids, and flavours. This then in turn means that you have the potential to produce outstanding wines.

In contrast, a poor harvest may occur when unfavourable conditions — such as frost, drought, excessive rain, or disease — disrupt the growth and ripening of the grapes. This results in fruit that is less concentrated, unbalanced, or even damaged.

Read more about how grape picking affects wine quality.

Potential for Lower-Quality Wines

One of the most immediate concerns after a poor harvest is the potential decline in the quality of the wine itself. Grapes that haven’t ripened properly may not develop the full spectrum of flavours or natural sugars required for fermentation. In this case, winemakers may be forced to make compromises to add balance. They might blend grapes from different plots to mask deficiencies or rely on artificial interventions such as managing the acidity or adding sugars (chaptalization) in the cellar to correct imbalances. In very tough years the best producers may decide to scale back or even totally halt the production of certain wines.

Cool or rainy growing seasons can result in grapes that are lower in sugar and higher in acidity, which may produce wines that taste tart or “green”, lacking the rich, ripe fruit character that wine drinkers seek. Hot and dry growing seasons might yield overly ripe grapes, leading to wines that are jammy and high in alcohol, but lacking in structure and complexity.

Smaller Yields and Limited Supply

Another significant impact of a poor harvest is the potential for reduced yields. Adverse weather conditions like frost or hail can physically damage the vines, reducing the quantity of grapes they produce. In some cases, entire crops may be lost. In regions where production is already limited, such as Burgundy, which is known for its small, tightly controlled vineyards, a poor harvest can severely affect supply.

Smaller yields can mean less availability of your favourite wines, especially when those wines are already highly sought-after bottles. These become much harder to find, and allocations to wine shops, restaurants, and collectors will be reduced.

The situation becomes even more difficult for small, artisanal producers. These winemakers often have little margin to account for disparities in their production. A poor harvest might mean the wine is produced in quantities too small to meet demand, or in some cases, not produced at all leading to very challenging for the business.

Inevitable Price Increases

Lower yields, higher production costs, and increased competition for limited bottles – these factors all contribute to higher prices.

When producers face smaller harvests, their input costs will increase to mitigate the effects of the poor weather. This can be anything from installing irrigation systems in dry seasons, frost protection in spring (which can include hiring helicopters to fly overhead to disperse frost pockets), or additional labour to carefully select and sort grapes. These costs are almost always passed on to the consumer.

For fine wines in particular, the perception of scarcity can lead to increased trading and speculation in both primary and secondary markets. Collectors and investors may snap up bottles from highly regarded producers from previous vintages in anticipation of price hikes, further limiting availability and pushing prices even higher. This phenomenon is particularly evident in regions like Bordeaux, where vintages are often bought and sold as investment commodities.

For wine lovers on a budget, this can be disheartening. Once affordable wines may become too expensive, forcing them to seek alternatives. This has become painfully true in regions like Burgundy, where demand outstrips supply even in good years. A series of difficult vintages have pushed prices higher, prices that miraculously don’t seem to come back down in better years.

Are Poor Harvests Always a Bad Thing for Consumers?

In the world of fine wines, poor harvests and vintages can force wine lovers to look at previous vintages through a new lens. In Bordeaux, for example, the 2011 and 2012 vintages were overlooked by many after they failed to live up to the heights of the celebrated 2009 and 2010. Following a very difficult, wet and rainy 2013, many looked back at 2011 and 2012 and reframed them as good vintages worthy of purchase.

Lower yields don’t always mean poor wines. Often the opposite is true. 2017 saw devastating frosts across large swathes of European vineyards, drastically lowering the yields produced. This was then followed by good growing season conditions, meaning that winemakers make very good wines, although admittedly at much lower volumes. The prices did rise, but the wine quality was invariably still very high.

A Reason to Look Further Afield

In the face of a poor harvest in one region, we can use it as an excuse to broaden our horizons, exploring wines from other areas across the globe that may have experienced better-growing conditions in that particular year. For example, if a poor harvest strikes Bordeaux, wine lovers might turn to wines from Spain, Italy, or even emerging wine regions like South Africa or Argentina, where conditions may have been more favourable. As previously mentioned, 2013 was a tough year in Bordeaux, but 2013 in Tuscany, and Brunello di Montalcino in particular, saw some of the best wines for decades.

In a more positive light, the wine world is constantly evolving. While poor harvests will always be a challenge, they also drive innovation and creativity in winemaking. As producers adapt to changing conditions, wine lovers may find themselves introduced to new styles, techniques, and expressions of terroir that may not have existed a few decades ago.

This Blog post is written by Mike Turner
Freelance wine writer, presenter and judge

Mike is a regular contributor for The Buyer magazine and is a certified educator and ambassador for Bordeaux, Rioja, Ribera Del Duero, Barolo and Barbaresco, running trade and consumer events across the UK from his base in the East Midlands.

Next in The Harvest Season Series #1: How Grape Picking Affects Wine Quality