Long Read: Floods in the Ahr valley – A tale of destruction and solidarity

Large areas of Western Germany were flooded last week and are dealing with an unprecedented level of destruction and loss. The overall sense of bafflement and being overwhelmed has prompted an international movement of solidarity, namely within the wine community, eager to help fellow winemakers many of whom have lost all their cellared stock, equipment, homes and wineries. Whether the foundations of the latter are still sound is yet to be determined; as is, in most cases, whether insurances will cover the damage caused by this unexpected natural disaster.