![]() Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In: Climate change 2007: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. European seasonal and annual temperature variability, trends, and extremes since 1500. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture 51:249-261. Climate influences on grapewine phenology, grape composition, and wine production and quality for Bordeaux, France. Online at webfeature/ show/ id/ The-Grapes-of-Bordeaux_3492. Online at apps/ news?pid=newsarchive &sid=a_oUGZAbFDJs. French wine exports fall 17% as consumers buy cheaper brands, Bloomberg. Reducing our heat-trapping emissions may also help reduce the impact of global warming on winemaking in Bordeaux, and give farmers time to adapt to the region's changing climate. Breeding programs may develop heat-resistant vine stocks, for example. Possible future advances in genetics, breeding, and vineyard adaptation may help mitigate some of the adverse affects of climate change. ![]() 16īordeaux's wine growers are now facing the costs of adapting to a warming climate. 15 Overall, Europe is projected to face hotter summers, less summer precipitation, and more frequent and intense droughts. 12, 13 Unless we make deep and swift cuts in our heat-trapping emissions, 14 summers in central Europe are expected to feel like today's southern European summers by the end of the century. 6Īccording to scientific projections, more frequent heat waves and even hotter summers than that in 2003 are highly likely in the coming decades. According to one study, an increase in the number of days above 86° F (30° C) when grapevines were flowering hastened grape ripening, and the resulting longer growing season correlated with lower productivity and lower-quality grapes. The 2003 heat wave suggests that further warming of Bordeaux's climate may not be beneficial for wine production. 8, 9, 10, 11 European wine production hit a 10-year low. $16 billion (more than €13 billion), with nearly one-third of the losses occurring in France. 8 (See the hotspot on De Bilt, the Netherlands, for more on this record European heat wave.)ĭamages to the agricultural sector were estimated at more than U.S. 7 Annual precipitation was as much as 12 inches (300 millimeters) below normal, leaving most of the continent in a drought. In the summer of 2003, Europe experienced a devastating heat wave. More recent climate and weather patterns, however, have been less advantageous for winemaking. ![]() 6 The resulting reduction in acid levels and increase in sugar-to-acid ratios improved the quality of the grapes and the likelihood of producing high-quality wine, on average. 6 Decreases in precipitation when the vines were budding and the grapes were ripening (veraison)-combined with warm, dry conditions during the flowering stage (floraison)-increased the potential for sweeter, larger Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Scientists have found that changes in the climate of the Bordeaux region in the second half of the twentieth century were generally favorable for high-quality wine production. 6 The optimal climate for growing grapes that can be made into high-quality wine features wet, mild-to-cool winters followed by warm springs, then warm-to-hot summers with little precipitation. Winemaking is an art and a science-but climate greatly influences the quality of wine, and typically determines premium wine-growing regions around the world. 4 Most Bordeaux wine is red, blended from three varieties of grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. 3īordeaux, which produces one-third of France's quality wine, is one of the country's most famous wine regions. 2 France exported more than $10 billion (€7.7 billion) worth of wine in 2009. 2 It also ranked second in total area devoted to vineyards, behind Spain. In 2008, France was the world's second-leading wine-producing nation, behind Italy. ![]() Wine has enormous cultural, historic, and economic significance in that country, and is a source of national pride. Many people around the world think of France when they think of wine. ![]()
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