The 1929 vintage

by Julie Berteloot 11 April 2025

11 April 2025 920 views

The 1929 vintage follows the excellent 1928 but has nothing to be ashamed of in front of it. Indeed, the two vintages constitute one of the most famous tandems in the history of wine. Although the economic crisis caused the price of wine to fall terribly afterwards, the fact remains that the 1929 vintage is a very good year for winegrowers.

Bordeaux

Reds, dry and sweet whites benefit from the advantages of the vintage. The weather is harmonious with heat controlled by a rain in September, just before the harvest. It is very good even if it is not abundant. The rain slightly reduces the tannins, acidity and alcohol but this does not change the quality of the grapes. The wines are excellent for their delicacy, balance and elegance. Although their peak is over, they are still very good to taste. The white wines are also very good. They are tasty, consistent and mature wines. The greatest are still excellent to taste. Likewise for the sweet wines, they are the best since 1921. They are harmonious, fine and delicate. If they have been well preserved, they are always perfect.

Bourgogne

We probably have to go back to 1875 to see such a large harvest again. The summer was hot and the September rain saturates the grapes. The harvest was large and of very good quality. Reds were excellent. They are classic, supple and elegant wines. Reds wines are very good from the beginning and continue to be so thanks to a very good and long aging. They are still very interesting and very good. The white wines are also very good. They are magnificent, ripe and sweet. The vintage is historic because it is one of those that can still be found without too much difficulty thanks to the abundant harvest, its acidity, its robustness and its longevity.

Champagne

The harvest was more than abundant with 10,800 kg of grapes per hectare. It was not until 1970 that a higher yield was seen. The vintage was magnificent and seductive. The wines were delicate and full of charm. Everywhere the stocks were so large that part of the must had to be vinified not as champagne but as still wine.

Vallée du Rhône

The weather is very favorable to the development of the vine. These harvests are good and the grapes are excellent. The quality is of course there. The wines are rich and powerful. They keep very well but are very difficult to find these days. No shadow comes to darken the picture of the vintage 1929.

Looking back at history: the stock market crash of 1929

In October 1929, the New York stock market crash also affected the wine world. Exports and sales were in free fall. Bottle prices fell inexorably due to the drop in purchases from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. Only England remained the most loyal customer, but this did not succeed in turning around the economic situation. Many small properties closed or were for sale. Even large chateaux went bankrupt but could not find a buyer. 10% of the vines were uprooted. Cooperative wineries then appeared in 1932. On the eve of the Second World War, 52 cooperative wineries existed.