🌿 Oceanic climate

An oceanic climate is the climate near the sea: mild, humid, without strong summer heat or severe winter frost. The ocean acts as a heat store: it warms slowly and cools slowly, so temperature swings are small.

For grapes this climate has pluses and minuses. Pluses: summers are cool, berries ripen slowly and keep acidity, and the wines are fresh with moderate strength. In winter the vine rarely freezes. Minuses: humidity. It raises the risk of fungal diseases, especially downy mildew, so the vineyard needs careful care and spraying.

The crop depends more on the weather of the particular year: in a rainy summer berries may not ripen. The oceanic climate is part of the general list of vineyard climates. It is typical, for example, of the Atlantic coast of Europe and some areas of New Zealand. Wines from there are usually light and aromatic, with good acidity.