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Warming in Wine Country

By the time the next century rolls around, wine lovers may be swapping their deep California burgundies in favor of a nice Oregon or Maine red, scientists warn, if global climate change continues unabated.

According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, premium wine production in the United States could shrink as much as 80 percent by the end of this century as average temperatures continue to rise, along with the number of hot days in areas such as California’s Napa and Sonoma wine regions.

Those regions, which currently experience only two weeks’ worth of very hot days each year, may see as much as 2 month’s worth by the end of the 21st century, the researchers found. Grapes exposed to prolonged heat cannot be used to make premium wines, though they may still be suitable for table wine or grape juice.

That doesn’t mean we won’t be able to grow premium grapes in the United States any longer, but wine growers will have to move their vineyards north to areas where temperatures stay cooler, such as the Pacific Northwest or parts of New England. European wines will also be affected as temperatures rise. Wine growers there are already planning ahead by purchasing property in isolated areas, where climate models predict ideal growing conditions towards the latter end of the century.

To see a copy of the study, click here.

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To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org