| European Vineyards Stand Up to Climate Change |
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| Written by Heather McKee | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sunday, 17 February 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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While the U.S. administration does its best to dodge things like emissions caps and carbon taxes, winemakers around the world are already modifying their vineyards in response to (and preparing for additional) climate change. The International Conference on Climate Change and Wine in Barcelona concludes tonight with a closing ceremony hosted (by satellite videoconference) Al Gore. Other speakers included Pancho Campo, President of The Wine Academy of Spain, and viticulture experts from German, Australian and Spanish universities. The Wine Academy of Spain reported at last year’s conference that winemaking regions have cumulatively experienced a 2 degree temperature increase over the past 50 years. Because of increased maturation speeds, grapes are losing subtleties in aroma. Under the fluorescent lights of a grocery store, it’s quite easy to forget that each wine on the shelf is granted its distinct flavor because of a particular type of grape, grown in a particular soil and climate. As the climate changes, the wine changes.
But winemakers aren’t taking that sitting down.
Twenty-six European vineyards are commencing a four-year $370 million study on wine and climate change. They are building rainwater storage systems, planting vines in higher elevations, using satellites to study weather patterns, and even trying new varieties of grapes. NPR reported on cava wine producers in Spain, who are attempting to keep their trademark regional wines by altering pruning techniques in the vineyard.
Whether you are a current or aspiring oenophile, you may want to raise a glass to these practical and forward-thinking vineyard owners.
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