Wine and Global Warming

[John William G]

Ever wondered if global warming will affect the taste of wines you enjoy?  It will.  The January 2015 Scientific American has an article in it, "Will We Still Enjoy Pinot Noir?" which considers how temperature change affects wine flavor, and what vines will grow in what regions; and also discusses what winegrowers are doing now to try to offset the change, and what actions they might take in the future.   Its summary of the affect:  "Higher temperature increases a grape's sugar content, which means higher alcohol during fermentation.  Temperature also affects trace compounds that create aromas, crucial to our flavor perception."

[DonRocks]

Ever wondered if global warming will affect the taste of wines you enjoy?  It will.  The January 2015 Scientific American has an article in it, "Will We Still Enjoy Pinot Noir?" which considers how temperature change affects wine flavor, and what vines will grow in what regions; and also discusses what winegrowers are doing now to try to offset the change, and what actions they might take in the future.   Its summary of the affect:  "Higher temperature increases a grape's sugar content, which means higher alcohol during fermentation.  Temperature also affects trace compounds that create aromas, crucial to our flavor perception."

And the article has merit, unfortunately.

[Bart]

And a local angle too.

Jim Law of Linden Vineyards has ripped out all of his Seval vines and is replanting with something else.  When he first planted them in the early 80s they would ripen well in the (then) climate and he'd get great wine.  As things have warmed, that is no longer the case.   So now, when the grapes are fully ripe (much earlier than before) the acid level is too high to produce good wine.

[deangold]

Invest in British vineyards for Pinot Noir production and British Columbia for Cabernets!

Areas that for all recorded history had a fairly stable range of temperatures and heat days now are having to rethink what grows there.  While wine is a tiny part of the effects of global climate change, it is a telling thing that the arguments of the "Little Ice Age" etc are not in line with what we are experiencing now.  THe effects of current climate change are far greater than anything experienced in the wine industry before.

[Al Dente]

I'm not a scientist, but what global warming?