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Rising global temperatures could make it impossible to grow grapes in mid-latitude regions, potentially changing where the majority of the world’s wine is produced, researchers say.
A review of more than 200 studies was published Tuesday in the journal Nature Reviews Earth &. Environment found.
Many of the regions known for wine production are located along mid-latitude zones, such as California, southern France, and northern Spain. But the review says climate change could change the geography of wine production, as rising temperatures affect grape yields, grape composition at harvest and wine quality.
The researchers divided each continent and its wine-producing regions into macro-regions defined by specific climate-induced conditions, and found that, depending on the degree of global warming, 49% to 70% of existing wine-growing regions It was estimated that there was a significant risk that the product would be inappropriate. .
Extreme climate conditions, such as increased heatwaves and excessive drought, could hinder premium wine production in 29% of regions, researchers say.
“But when it gets very dry and very hot, there comes a point where it’s very unlikely to be sustainable,” he says.
But Greg Gambetta, a professor of viticulture at France’s Bordeaux Sciences Agro and co-author of the paper, stressed that grapes are a “hardy” crop that can often withstand extreme environments.
“They grow everywhere, from the deserts of Israel to the tropics, for example,” he told ABC News.
Gambetta said places known for their particular climates for producing excellent wines, such as France’s Bordeaux, could see a change in identity if rising temperatures make it difficult to produce consistently.
In other established wine-growing regions further north, such as Washington state and northern France, higher temperatures could increase production, the review found. New suitable sites may also emerge further south at higher latitudes, such as in the UK.
“In all these countries, in the Netherlands and Scandinavia, people who never thought about growing wine grapes are now starting to think about growing wine grapes,” he says.
As viticulture expands into new areas, the authors warn that impacts on natural ecosystems and biodiversity need to be monitored so that negative impacts can be mitigated.
JJ Huber, winemaker and owner of Southern California’s Laguna Canyon Winery, told ABC News that climate change “will always be a concern” for the wine industry.
Despite the region’s drought conditions, Huber has not yet noticed a change in the quality of his wine, but he is currently researching dry farming and how it might adapt to a future with reduced water availability. I am aware of this research.
“That’s not something we can answer today,” Hoover said.
The extent of these changes in suitability depends largely on the level of temperature increase, the researchers say.
The authors concluded that climate change will significantly alter global wine production in the near future, and both wine producers and consumers will need to adapt to higher temperatures.
Gambetta said many adaptations can now occur.
He said some regions, particularly Europe, will need to develop irrigation systems if record high temperatures and drought limit water availability.
Growers also need to manage their vineyards in a way that allows them to change and evolve with warming temperatures and the extreme weather conditions that come with them, Gambetta said.
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