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Growers in cooler climates do face some challenges.
Vines may be less productive, winters can damage or kill vines, and frosts are more common and destructive. Over the past few years, producers in Chablis, Burgundy and Bordeaux have suffered huge losses due to spring frosts. Additionally, if the summer growing season is too short or cool, the grapes may not be fully ripe for harvest. This is why many cooler regions allow chaptalization, the addition of sugar to the wort so that the alcohol level rises during fermentation. Such factors tend to lead to large differences between vintages.