For the nerd-loving science type, there's an interesting shift in the Milky Way that is occurring today, right this second, that may impact what type of wine you drink 10 years from now.
What is it?
For the past sequential few years, the earth's rotational speed has slowed. According to scientists who analyzed every earthquake above 7.0 magnitude since 1900, when our planet decelerates rotational spin, it leads to an increased number of earthquakes.
How, you ask, does this cyclical link translate for impacting the wine industry?
Stick with me.
In 2014, I was woken in my apartment in SF by the sound of my running metals slamming together on the wall above my head. I was in the middle of an earthquake, so like any Californian, I waited for it to stop, and then went back to sleep. Just few miles North of my apartment was the epicenter for a 6.0 earthquake, in Napa. It resulted in $1 billion of damage, and the region is still recovering today.
The San Andreas Fault, which many speculate will create an earthquake known as "The Big One," runs directly through the Bay Area. Some speculate that the West Napa Fault, the cause of the 2014 South Napa earthquake, is attached to the San Andreas fault line.
If scientists are correct about increased earthquakes resulting from slowed rotational spin, which we are experiencing today, then chances are the wine we will be drinking years from now will either be from a different region due to earthquake damage, or it will be a well-shaken varietal.
What is it?
For the past sequential few years, the earth's rotational speed has slowed. According to scientists who analyzed every earthquake above 7.0 magnitude since 1900, when our planet decelerates rotational spin, it leads to an increased number of earthquakes.
How, you ask, does this cyclical link translate for impacting the wine industry?
Stick with me.
In 2014, I was woken in my apartment in SF by the sound of my running metals slamming together on the wall above my head. I was in the middle of an earthquake, so like any Californian, I waited for it to stop, and then went back to sleep. Just few miles North of my apartment was the epicenter for a 6.0 earthquake, in Napa. It resulted in $1 billion of damage, and the region is still recovering today.
The San Andreas Fault, which many speculate will create an earthquake known as "The Big One," runs directly through the Bay Area. Some speculate that the West Napa Fault, the cause of the 2014 South Napa earthquake, is attached to the San Andreas fault line.
If scientists are correct about increased earthquakes resulting from slowed rotational spin, which we are experiencing today, then chances are the wine we will be drinking years from now will either be from a different region due to earthquake damage, or it will be a well-shaken varietal.
This article was funny, and got me thinking more about the fires here, and how valuable these wine collections can be. Considering that bottles of wine can sell for upwards of $100,000, it would seem that someone, somewhere is selling insurance. Now that we understand how pricey, coveted, and traded wine is, it only seems natural that someone is profiting. Sure enough, that is the case! Special insurance exists for wine that is otherwise not covered by general homeowners insurance. If there is an earthquake, for instance, and bottles break, insurance can cover it. If there is a flood, or extreme weather conditions, wine insurance can cover it. In fact, there are as many as eight circumstances that are uniquely covered by wine insurance.
ReplyDeleteA good rule of thumb apparently suggests that if you spend more than 10% of your monthly budgets on wine, you need insurance (or if your collection exceeds $1000 value). Entire collections can be insured, or just individual bottles. More here if you're interested: http://blog.vinfolio.com/2016/04/04/everything-you-need-to-know-about-insuring-your-wine-collection/
This raises the larger question about "The Big One" and how much insurance wineries need. A lot. Other than agricultural insurance to protect vines, a winery often hosts guests, employs people, manages chemicals, etc. There is even "Tank collapse coverage." On top of the regulatory headache of selling wine, there is also this added, and seemingly never-ending list of insurances that a winery needs. For more: https://www.trustedchoice.com/n/31/winery-insurance/
By the way, UPS even has special insurance specifically for vintners: https://upscapital.com/product-services/capital-elite-for-vintners/?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=ds_gclid:COixi_ji5NcCFYmzfgodhUwG2A:dscid:71700000024156129:searchterm:wine+insurance&gclid=COixi_ji5NcCFYmzfgodhUwG2A&gclsrc=ds
Sunny - this is a scary, but interesting premise that got me thinking about how climate change will impact the future of the wine industry. What will happen to the prized Napa Valley when there's no rainfall to water the wine?
ReplyDeleteI looked into this a little more, and the outlook doesn't look great. For example, scientists are predicting that by 2040 will no longer be able to grow in the Willamette Valley because a 5 degree change in temperature could spoil the finicky grape. It makes you wonder what techniques winemakers may invent in order to keep their vineyards productive.
The flip side, however, is that new regions will benefit from temperature increases. New York State, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Michigan are all frigid regions that produce wine. Now, varieties like Cabernet Franc that struggled in climates like that of PA have begun to flourish. This is a great article that I found on the subject: https://vinepair.com/articles/climate-change-impact-wine-regions/
The question I'm left with: how on earth can you make a wine from Michigan sexy to consumers?!?
This definitely gives me something to think about, in terms of what will be the impact of global warming on the wine industry & relatedly the push to make "other" regions viable in some way for making a high quality wine.
ReplyDeleteMy family, while split between the U.S. and Italy, has on it's american side farming land in Iowa -- that I wish would somehow find another use, given that farming isn't particularly lucrative as I'm seeing, there are issues with the land that prevent some forms of farming. I think for the most part it just sits there and does nothing.
I'm not holding my breath, but it would be great to find out that it's possible to grow good grapes there. Plus to Ai's point on Michigan.. I think "Iowa" would be an even harder sell in terms of a "sexy" wine:)