History · Level 2 · Intermediate
The longest homogeneous series of grape harvest dates, Beaune 1354–2018, and its significance for the understanding of past and present climate
Labbé T, Pfister C, Brönnimann S, et al. (2019). Climate of the Past. doi:10.5194/cp-15-1485-2019 · CC BY 4.0
Step 1 of 2Read the paper
Historians and climate scientists rebuilt 664 years of grape-harvest start dates for Beaune in Burgundy by going back to original archives: medieval wage accounts, church and town council records and local newspapers. They corrected gaps and biases, checked the series against Paris thermometer readings and other records, and used it to estimate spring–summer temperatures back to 1354.
How to read it
- Section 2.1–2.3: why the older, famous Dijon series is unreliable. This is the paper’s motivation.
- Section 2.4: the four kinds of archive used for different periods. Make a quick timeline as you read.
- Sections 2.5–2.6: how gaps were filled and why 7 days were added before 1718.
- Section 4.1, 4.5 and the Conclusions: the 1988 shift, the earliest harvests and the puzzle of 1540.
Step 2 of 2Take the test
15 questions · about 40 minutes including reading · pick an answer to see straight away if it’s right. Nothing is saved.
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Paper: Labbé T, Pfister C, Brönnimann S, et al., Climate of the Past (2019), licensed CC BY 4.0. Summary and questions are Research Nest’s own; read the original for the full study.