Wine lovers have received disappointing news ahead of summer, as they are warned that they may have to say goodbye to chardonnay and sauvignon blanc and welcome less common plonk such as grenache and monastrell.
With global temperatures rising, wine drinkers will have to make do with rarer grape varieties that can cope with hotter, drier environments, experts say.
The wine is naturally adapted to hot, dry climates due to its origins in the Mediterranean region, where the most popular grapes rely heavily on irrigation: the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to soil to aid plant growth.
But the process faces its own challenges as climate change makes water more scarce, according to a report from the United Nations.
Wine has already become more alcoholic and sweeter in taste, and vineyards are being harvested almost three weeks earlier than just four decades ago.
Wine lovers may have to make do with lesser-known grapes, as rising temperatures could make 70 percent of the planet’s wine regions unsuitable for growing grapes.
Seasonal workers pick bunches of grapes during the harvest in a vineyard in the area known as Rioja Alavesa, in the town of Laguardia, Basque Country, northern Spain
Vineyard in the Chianti region, Tuscany, Italy
Warmer temperatures during the growing season make it more difficult for producers to achieve balance in the fruit and therefore the finished wine.
But global warming is set to generate severe droughts and heatwaves that could leave a staggering 70 percent of wine-growing regions around the planet unsuitable if global temperatures rise more than 2°C.
Shocking figures show that the world is currently heading towards a rise of almost 3°C.
About nine in 10 vineyards that produce favorite grapes such as Spanish merlots and Italian sauvignon blancs could soon be forced to close shop.
Vineyards located in and around coastal and low-lying areas of Spain, Italy, Greece and southern California could become unsuitable for cultivation, according to research published in The Times.
And while this means wine drinkers will have to make do with lesser-known, drought-resistant grapes like Monastrell and Grenache, it means the alcohol will keep flowing.
Adaptations to the types of grapes grown and the growing process are being discussed in vineyards across the planet in an effort to address the problem.
In its most extreme form, “what type of grape is grown” can mean a complete change of grape variety.
“The market must accept drinking different varieties than what it is used to,” said Cornelis van Leeuwen of the Bordeaux Sciences Agro viticulture school.
“Most international varieties, such as sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and merlot, are not really adapted to a warmer, drier climate.”
Two years ago, Bordeaux sanctioned the use of six new varieties in its vineyards.
More than half of the vineyards around the world are planted with 12 grape varieties, but fortunately for wine lovers, there are thousands more available.
Beyond grape varieties, growers can sometimes “create coolness” by planting seeds on slopes with different orientations that receive less or “cooler” sun and more wind, or at higher altitudes.
Some growers also believe they can mitigate the effects of climate change by using different clones of their existing grape varieties, versions that ripen later or more reluctantly.
A study, published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, explored how climate change will affect viticulture on a global scale.
It revealed that if temperatures are kept at 2°C, around 25 percent of current wine regions could benefit.
Another quarter would maintain its suitability.
But any temperature above 2ºC would lead to the catastrophic result of 70 percent of the world’s vineyards being unable to grow the most well-known and loved wine grapes.
Statistics from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show a world that is already more than 1°C warmer than before the industrial revolution.
Eight of the ten warmest years on record occurred in the last decade.
In the last two years, there have been record temperatures from Canada to Sicily, wildfires in Australia, Portugal, Greece and California, and flooding in Australia and Germany.
New growing regions will also open up in the UK, as the climate becomes more suitable for growing.
Sussex and Kent are already leading the way with their hugely popular Rathfinny and Denbies estates which feature chalky soils and sloping landscapes, perfect for growing grapes.
