2018 vintage underway in the Northern Hemisphere.

With a number of 2018 vintage reports starting to hit the airways in the Northern Hemisphere, we thought we'd give a round up of the positive things the marketing bodies are reporting.

2018 look like a good vintage in Europe. In general, France had a very wet spring and a dry summer, giving many regions plenty of water for a big crop with good fruit quality. Beaujolais’s regional marketing body InterBeaujolais described the 2018 vintage as legendary, alongside 2017 and 2015. The vintage is early but solid.

In Italy, Tuscany had a regular vintage without any weather issues giving healthy grapes. Giovanni Manetti, newly-elected president of the appellation’s Consorzio claims 2018 will be a 5 star vintage. However, misty mornings mean there is a race on to harvest the remaining grapes before rot sets in, according to Axel Heinz, estate director at both Ornellaia and Masseto. In Bolgheri, the home of super Tuscans, mildew and humidity have been challenging, but we were able to bring healthy fruit to full ripeness he said, echoing a problem that has also been prevalent in Bordeaux.

In the US, Napa Valley Vintners, which has 550 members, has revealed it is optimistic about the 2018 harvest following a balanced, steady growing season.