Last week, up to 60cm of snow fell on the central Italian vineyards of the Abruzzo wine region, causing extensive damage.

The snow coupled with strong winds of up to 160kph caused major damage to the vines, especially those that were unpruned and trained using the tall pergola system.

In some areas, only 10 per cent of vines were damaged, but in the hardest-hit vineyards, some winemakers are reporting that up to 50 per cent of vines were damaged by the snow.

One producer of Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, a well-known white wine of the region, said: “The issue is not the amount of damage to my vines or any others, it is climate change. We have had up to 60cm of snow falling in November, coupled with winds of up to 140km an hour. That isn’t normal. We will recover from the damage, but the climate will continue to change, unchecked.”

The president of both the region’s largest cooperative and the local Consorzio Tutela Vini D’Abruzzo tried to put the damage into perspective: “Out of 35,000 hectares planted by members of the Consorzio, about 2,000 hectares have been affected. But at the cooperative only about 50 hectares have been affected. Yes, there has been damage to vines, especially in the hills, but it is not as catastrophic as some are suggesting.”