Burgundy vineyards devastated by storm Pommard in France's Burgundy region, seriously damaged after a summer hailstorm Winemakers in a prime wine-growing area in France's Burgundy region, are reeling from a freak hail storm that in some vineyards completely wiped out this year's harvest. The rare conjunction of two storms, one blowing hot air from the south, the other cold air from the north, ripped through the Côte de Beaune area on Tuesday afternoon in 20 devastating minutes, pummelling grapes, tearing leaves from the vines and flooding the vineyards. Pierre Cornu, who runs the Domaine Edmond Cornu et Fils near Beaune, said one of his vineyards in Savigny-lès-Beaune suffered between 80 and 100 per cent damage to this year's crop. It was an enormous storm. I've never seen a storm like it. The hail stones were as big as ping-pong balls and there were huge gusts of wind," he told the Financial Times. France's agriculture ministry said on Friday that up to 40 per cent of vineyards were hit in the Côte de Beaune, which accounts for about 10 per cent of the Burgundy region's annual 200m bottle production. Crop damage in the stricken vineyards ranged from 10 per cent to 100 per cent, the ministry said. Among the best known wine-growing districts hardest hit were Pommard, Volnay, Monthélie, Beaune and Meursault, according to BIVB, the Burgundy wine board, which estimates losses of more than 4m bottles. "In 40 years, we have never seen a whole area hit like this," a BIVB spokeswoman said. In 20 minutes, everything was ruined. One of the hardest hit producers was the Domaine Coste-Caumartin in Pommard, founded in 1793 and owned today by Jérôme Sordet, among whose wines is Le Clos des Boucherottes, a premier cru. "It was what we call dry hail - big hailstones without rain," he told the FT. It lasted 15-20 minutes before it turned to rain, but by then the damage was done. I fear I've lost nearly 50 per cent of my harvest. The blow followed a weak harvest last year - when the area was also hit by hail storms. Mr Sordet, who produces about 65,000 bottles a year, said his 2012 production was down about a third, although the quality was very high. Two years in a row. It's a bit much," he said. In 40 years, we have never seen a whole area hit like this. Spokeswoman, BIVB, the Burgundy wine board The key issue now is how well the stricken vines will recover. The fear is more wet weather will cause disease on the plants and rot in surviving, hail-damaged grapes. Mr Cornu, who exports his Corton-Bressandes grand cru, Ladoix and Aloxe Corton wines to 36 countries, said it was vital to avoid "hail taste," similar to a "corked" wine, that can occur when the hail wounds on grapes rot. "It is particularly a problem with red wines," he said. Salvaging the vintage all depends now on the weather, said Mr Sordet. We need the sun and a bit of wind. That's the best medicine.