With the accolades it has earned, the Conference has become an annual meeting place for the oenologists, wine-growers and property-owners who are aware that they need to have a better understanding of how the environment affects the nature of the relationship between the plant and the composition of the fruit. Initiated in the Napa Valley in 2010, the conference has been held each year in Napa, Paso Robles, Oregon and Sonoma in California, as well as in Bordeaux, Provence and, this year, in Burgundy. This is a unique event, bringing together renowned scientists and oenologists, so that they can bring a scientific and practical perspective to the data gathered, as well as analysing the observations made in the course of the season.
In Provence, the 2017 season has been notable for an exceptional drought, not to mention some late frosts which, in just a few hours, ended the hopes of many wine-growers. Wine production in Provence has slumped by 20 to 30%, depending on the variety. Faced with an increase in temperature and the intensity of the droughts, there are a number of possible solutions for adapting to this situation: irrigation and the development of drought-resistant varieties, ideas that have already been discussed at the 2016 Millésime conference.
Furthermore, in the Var region, a number of wine-growers’ associations signed, in December 2017 a framework partnership agreement with the company Canal de Provence (SCP) to develop irrigation in their vineyards. This agreement sets a target of equipping 20,000 ha over a relatively short period of time, which should not exceed twenty years.
