Eight out of the ten hottest years on record have occurred in the past decade. Thus, it is no surprise that rising global temperatures have had a significant impact on wine production.
One study by the University of British Columbia found that temperatures during the wine growing season have drastically increased around the world. “That kind of change can affect harvest times, grape ripening, and thus the taste of the wine,” reports UBC’s Elizabeth Wolkovich, one of the study authors.
One aspect of wine production that climate change has affected is the growing cycle. Warmer temperatures lead to the growing cycle happening earlier. In fact, budding, flowering, fruit-set, veraison (when the grapes begin to ripen and change color), and harvest all take place around ten days to two weeks sooner than normal. This leads to higher alcohol levels, lower acidity levels, and less refined tannins, all of which affect taste.
Hot temperatures during the growing season also make it more difficult for those who grow wine to achieve balance in the fruit. During the winter, mild temperatures lead to vines coming out of dormancy quicker and becoming more vulnerable to frost as a result.
Global warming has also increased weather disasters. As vines are one of the most weather-sensitive agricultural crops, weather catastrophes can be detrimental. Smoke from wildfires can easily cover vineyards and ruin wines, a phenomenon that has already occurred in the U.S., Australia and South Africa. A shortage of rainwater can decrease the fruitfulness of wine production, while hail can be extremely destructive.
Droughts and wildfires, both of which have become more common due to climate change, have therefore negatively affected the quality of harvests.
Amid this crisis, one study published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth and Environment shows that around 90 percent of coastal and low-altitude regions in California may be unable to produce good wine if global warming exceeds +2°C, reducing the growable surface area of wine. With increasing temperatures reducing grape crops and the quality of wine, researchers estimate that up to 70 percent of the world’s suitable wine regions will become too warm for production by the end of the century. That said, a warmer climate is expected to boost production in 25 percent of current wine regions.
Winemakers have begun taking adaptive measures. For instance, new grape varieties are being used as they are better suited to climate change. Growers can also plant on differently oriented slopes that receive less sun and more wind, or slopes at higher altitudes to mitigate temperature increases. While these measures may come at high costs, they are now crucial to preserving the prosperity of wine production worldwide.
CONTACTS: Climate change endangers 70 percent of world’s wine regions, thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4559504-climate-change-endangers-70-percent-wine-regions-study/; A global map of how climate change is changing winegrowing regions, preventionweb.net/news/global-map-how-climate-change-changing-winegrowing-regions; “Wine and the climate crisis: Where are we now and what happens next?” worldoffinewine.com/news-features/climate-change-wine-industry.
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