The Impact of Weather On Wine
After listening to Professor Michael Taylor’s recent presentation, “Why Climate Demands Change”, at the recent GraceKennedy Foundation Lecture and then seeing and experiencing the effects of last week’s fire at the Riverton City landfill, I’ve been thinking about the environment locally and globally, leading to many heated discussions including the impact of global warming on the world of wine.
While a meteorologist watches the weather, a winemaker, like many others in the field of agriculture, has to live with it. It’s the single most important ingredient in the quality and quantity of their product.
Global warming is real and its effects are far-reaching; it also affects us on a personal level. We, including wine-producing countries, have been experiencing hotter and hotter summers. Hotter summers have been positive for some wine producers; for others, not so.
A GLOBAL WARMING BENEFIT
Improvements in wine quality in the past half-century have had as much to do with global warming as with advances in winemaking and grape growing, according to research.
The growing-season temperatures of 27 major wine regions around the world have risen over the past 50 years by an average of 1.24 degrees Celsius, according to the research, which was published in the journal Climatic Changes several years ago. Of course, not all winemakers agree on how much they have benefited from higher temperatures. The taste of wines will change as the conditions the grapes grow in continue to change. In the Champagne region of France, there is great concern about the warming for the future of their precious product, while across the channel in England the warming has allowed an improvement in their sparkling wine production.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR US
The theory suggests that in a number of years, the brands and products we like will change as the styles of wines produced in certain regions also change. Some regions will become inhospitable to winemaking, while new areas will continually open up. For now winemakers are satisfied that technology and winemaking techniques will counteract this. But for how long?
WHAT TO DRINK IN THE INTERIM…
The lighter side of these discussions brings us to how weather affects what we feel like drinking now. When it’s hot we tend to want wines that are lighter, lower in alcohol, fresh-tasting and served colder. These include simple sparkling wines like Procecco, light crisp unoaked wines like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and light refreshing “chillable” reds like Beaujolais.
When it is cool we tend to crave wines that are heavier, higher in alcohol, oaky, mature and more complex, served warmer. These include barrel-fermented whites like California Chardonnay, and strong flavourful reds like Bordeaux or Australian Shiraz.
Climate is generally defined as average weather, and as such, climate change and weather are intertwined. To echo Professor Taylor’s sentiments: Do educate yourself on climate change, as it impacts all of us.
Christopher Reckord – Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. Instagram: @chrisreckord Twitter: @Reckord
