2001 is remembered for its combination of very warm temperatures and high levels of precipitation. It all began with the region’s mildest winter for decades, with little snowfall but numerous days of rain. The February was also very warm, which made for an early arrival of spring, and even a wintery intermezzo on the last day of the month did not put a serious damper on the temperatures. The March brought a period of constantly mild weather, which also included a reasonable amount of precipitation. April, on the other hand, was unsettled and wet, and the thermometer also dropped slightly. The merry month of May compensated for that with almost summer temperatures, which sank only slightly during the night. After a refreshing break with a few cooler days, the temperatures suddenly soared, and towards the end of June the sun was very strong in the sky. The vineyards also received more than their fair share of sunshine in July, although there were a few days of rain around the middle of the month, which was highly beneficial for growth in the vines. A warm and also dry August provided ideal conditions during the last few weeks prior to the harvest, so that even a few bouts of rain in September could not detract from the excellent quality of the healthy and fully mature grapes. Thanks to the warm and dry days of October, the red wine harvest was also blessed by the elements.