This year, the European summer has been sweltering. It is unprecedented in many ways, marked by extreme heat, drought and record-breaking fires. Across the continent, fires have consumed hundreds of homes and demanded the evacuation of thousands of people.
Europe’s wine regions have been particularly hard hit, including around France’s Bordeaux region. Aside from the direct dangers of fires, exposure to smoke can give grapes a burnt or ashy flavour, and this smoke taint can discourage people from buying wine from fire-affected regions.
