Expanding on his point 5) the unpredictable weather, as I understand it, can also lead to greater extremes. For example warm periods showing up sooner than expected, triggering an early growing season. Followed by frost, which even if not later than normal can be devastating if the vines are already starting to grow.
Great read - thanks for sharing.
There is no doubt that we are in for some changes both here in CA and elsewhere throughout the US and around the world in terms of what is grown where. One of the ‘challenges’ will be with old world regions that have ‘laws’ that prohibit the growing of any but a handful of varieties within a region. That law is going to have to be softened. Also, don’t be surprised if AOCs and AVAs expand over time due to these issues.
One thing that is already being done is the use of more and more shade cloths to cover the fruiting zone during the harvest season to ensure the grapes do not get too ripe or sun burned. Of course, this is a ‘short term’ fix - either row orientation will have to be altered at some point to counter-act that or the types of trellises employed will have to be switched up.
An interesting time indeed . . .
Cheers!
If it wasn’t for Brexit, I think that before the end of the century parts of England’s County Kent would have been granted the Appellation ‘Champagne’. Based on soil, they certainly should be. The White Cliffs of Dover, Champagne and Chablis are all part of the same rock formation, which extends westwards into Kent. It just goes a few miles underground in most of France, cropping up in Champagne, going underground again for about 70 miles, recurring in the Aube district of Champagne, then again in Chablis. There’s barely 20 miles between the southernmost Champagne vineyards and Chablis, much less than between Reims and the Aube.
Dan Kravitz