Wine and Climate Change

As someone going in to a career largely motivated by mitigating the effects of global climate change (renewable energy/clean tech), I’ve often wondered during our class what the effects of global warming will be on the global wine industry.  As we’ve discussed in class, some of the best wine grape growing regions in the world are in areas with cool-to-moderate seasons and few extremes (too hot or too cold is generally bad).  What happens when these regions warm and experience more severe weather events?

Fortunately, a few industry professionals have put together some robust academic studies predicting the effects of a warming planet on wine regions.  In particular, the studies I reviewed are by Adelsheim, et al, in the November 2016 Journal of WineEconomics and Mozell and Thach in the December 2014 issue of WineEconomics and Policy.

Adelsheim notes that climate change is likely to result in earlier harvest and periods of water stress (droughts).  For example, in Bordeaux, harvests are typically in October and have moved to September.  They may more earlier in the month or into late August in the future.  As far as droughts, limited water stress is apparently good for the quality of grapes but reduces yield.  If droughts are extreme or prolonged, they can impact the survivability of the vines and result in long-term impacts.

Perhaps more concerning to Adelsheim is the volatility or extreme nature of weather events on a warmer planet.  Historically severe fires, floods, frosts, and hot spells can move entire regions out of balance and change the calculus for which grapes grow best in which areas.  He suggests changing the varietal composition to produce grapes that perform best in warmer areas, and to extend growing areas in regions that are typically on the colder end of the vine growing spectrum.  For example, he notes expanded growing areas in New York’s Finger Lakes and in the Pacific Northwest.

Mozell and Thach have more than a dozen recommendations for vineyards to adjust to a warmer planet.  Tactics such as nighttime harvesting, canopy management, and drip irrigation.  These tactics may run in the face of traditional growing practices (some growers scorn irrigating vines), but may be necessary to protect harvests and yields.