Violent hailstorms ravaged parts of the Bordeaux wine region in south-western France on Saturday, causing major damage in hundreds of vineyards, with thousands of hectares of vines destroyed, producers said on Monday.
This comes just a year after the Bordeaux region suffered one of its worst harvests in history, with a fall of 39% on year due to late frosts, which led to a jump in prices.
The hail first hit the south of the region on Saturday at midday, affecting the Pessac-Léognan region and the south of Médoc, home to some of the region's most famous chateaux, said Bernard Farges, head of Bordeaux producers' union CIVB.
