A lot has been said in scientific literature and beyond about the changes to grape growing and winemaking that may come with climate change. Some believe that all vineyards will have to move pole wards or up the hills. However, I think many of these perspectives underestimate the huge role of vineyard management. Many producers tell me they are not too worried, others are getting ahead of the changes.
Still, most of the attention usually goes to warmer temperatures (i.e. global warming, or the most certain and universal factor of future climate) and changes in water resources (sometimes induced by poor management rather than climate change). What are other factors that you or others in your regions have noticed and addressed? Is there any changing factor that keeps you up at night? Any factors that you’d like to have more certainty about?
I’m a climate scientist and a focus of my current work is to make climate-wine research that addresses the realities of the vineyard. Curious to hear your stories and perspectives, and if you have longer rants you’d like to share please feel free to shoot me a DM and we can jump on zoom or something.
Cheers