Vineyards that get trounced with hail often are ruined for the year. Hail can happen in most wine regions around the world. A hail storm in the spring can ruin the buds of grape vines. Hail in the late summer or fall can puncture and damage the fruit. In some cases a hailstorm can become so strong that entire clusters of grapes are knocked off the vine. Hail is a menace that wine growers fear. Several French wine regions suffered damage caused by several hail storms in 2013. Hail is an unfortunate part of the concept of terroir.

A place to plant grapevines and not worry about hail

We were quite surprised yesterday to visit Danieli a vineyard in Kakheti. The name of the village is Argoichki and means no hail. The views from the vineyard were amazing. In this region of no hail, winegrowers can plant with confidence of successful crops, at least not have the issues caused by hail. We learned of the passion that Olaf and Eka Malver for the Kisi grape, as well as their passion for planting vineyards on the surrounding gentle slopes. This is a beautiful place where one could spend countless days just admiring the vistas and enjoying the gift of liquifying your assets.

Cheers,
Terry