1992

In technology The first nicotine patch is introduced to help quit smoking and genetic fingerprinting is invented. The continuation of the Balkan War for the next 3 years between Muslims, Serbs and Croats prompted the UN to intervene. In the UK, riots break out in cities such as Bristol and in France, Euro Disney opens. In the United States, Bill Clinton becomes president and America's largest shopping mall Minnesota's Mall of America is built on 78 acres

Napa Valley: Early budbreak, followed by prolonged bloom induced by cool weather, caused uneven set, requiring cluster pruning in some varieties. June brought unseasonable rain, but worries were erased by the warm, dry weather which followed and continued through the summer. High temperatures brought a somewhat frenzied start to harvest in August, when it seemed all varieties would ripen at once, but a return to normally cool nights and foggy mornings allowed harvest to proceed at a more relaxed pace. Both quality and quantity were good for all varietals in all growing areas.

Italy vintage report from Tb: 1992 was the year of struggle. The cool weather and rains of early summer have fortunately turned into a dry summer. But storms and heavy rains at the end of summer and at harvest time served to soak the crops. In Piedmont, late-ripening Nebbiolo suffered, and Barolos and Barbarescos did not fare much better. For the second time in his life, Angelo Gaja decided not to produce any wine for the year; The previous time was in 1980. Tuscany is doing a little better than Piedmont, thanks to the early and selective harvest. The wines of Montepulciano and Montalcino were the most successful.

New Zealand / The season started well with very good bud break, but then the cold November and cool December reduced the set at flowering, especially with those varieties such as merlot and chardonnay which tend to react adversely to cold winds in the late Spring.  In January, we had the same sunshine hours as for 1991, but without those days when the temperature is nearer 40 than 30, and then, late in February, and on into March, the westerlies blew.  For the most part, it remained fine and warm, a trend which continued on until about the 9th May.  We started harvest on the 24th March, three days later than in 1991, and finished on the 8th May, a week or so later than usual.

Napa Valley: Early budbreak, followed by prolonged bloom induced by cool weather, caused uneven set, requiring cluster pruning in some varieties. June brought unseasonable rain, but worries were erased by the warm, dry weather which followed and continued through the summer. High temperatures brought a somewhat frenzied start to harvest in August, when it seemed all varieties would ripen at once, but a return to normally cool nights and foggy mornings allowed harvest to proceed at a more relaxed pace. Both quality and quantity were good for all varietals in all growing areas.

Burgundy Vintage by Leflaive: The climatic conditions from November to March were characterized by a period of intense drought.
High temperatures during the growing season and low precipitation allowed rapid vegetation growth. Very early flowering took place during the last days of May. Until the harvest, the vines benefited from weather favorable to their development.
A little light rain at the end of August was very beneficial, offsetting the first signs of drought.

The harvest began at the Domaine on September 17: the ripe grapes were harvested in the sun, with an average natural temperature of 14° in all plots. The precocity of the harvest was similar to that of the 1989 and 1990 vintages.
Power, opulence and ripe fruit: the wines had aromas of honey and toast, as well as a rare harmony and silky texture.

The potential is exceptional, undoubtedly the highest since 1964 or even 1953.

BURGUNDY / A great white vintage, charming and attractive.

After a mild winter and early spring, flowering started early. Erratic weather conditions throughout May led to delays and inconsistent fruit set, which was desirable to reduce the size of a potentially huge crop. The month of August was warm and sunny, bringing the grapes to an excellent state of ripening for an early harvest on September 12. Most of the harvest took place before the rains arrived on September 22.

Unlike 1991, the berries were large, with lots of juice. Magnificent wines, fresh and lively. The whites from the best Grand Cru terroirs continue to offer a lot of pleasure.

Australia 1992 Vintage / A cool, dry year with below-average rainfall and a mostly problem-free vintage, other than a little powdery mildew due to cloudy conditions. This resulted in good yields and healthy, balanced wines, even if they lacked the depth and richness of 1990 and 1991.

In 1992 there were 5,710 hectares of vines in the Barossa and 53,158 tonnes of wine grapes were crushed during that vintage.

“Wine Flight of a Lifetime”, the first tour of the Australian wine region by the British trade and press, visited the Barossa in February. Organized by Hazel Murphy of the Australian Wine Bureau, Wine Flight attracted 120 opinion makers such as Tim Atkin, Oz Clarke and Robert Joseph, creating significant marketing goodwill.

After many years of negotiations, the Barossa Wine and Tourism Association was incorporated on 22 April 1992. An annual general meeting held in October the previous year had ratified the merger of the Barossa Winemakers' Association, Barossa Vintage Festival and the Barossa Tourism Association and had elected John Steinle as president and appointed John Howie as chief executive. The powerful new body secured increased government funding and created a new regional wine tourism center at Tanunda.

The first commercial release of Penfolds 100% Barossa Valley Old Vine Mourvèdre Grenache Shiraz. This was seen by growers as recognition of big business's acceptance of the value of the Barossa name on a label and its traditional red varieties.

Wolf Blass Wines has been named International Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine and Spirits Competition, London (IWSC).