Winemakers adapting to a warmer world: new strategies to ensure wine quality

As global warming continues to transform climates worldwide, winemakers face the complex challenge of maintaining the quality of their wines. This shift represents a threat, but also presents an opportunity for innovation and adaptation within the wine industry.

The climate-wine relationship: a delicate balance

The wine industry, cherished for its flavor, texture, and aroma, has thrived for thousands of years. However, the process behind wine production is a complicated one, influenced by a myriad of factors - from the nature of the soil to fermentation techniques. The climate plays a significant role in this intricate production process, especially as wines produced in warmer climates tend to possess excessive ethanol and lack sufficient acidity, significantly impacting the resulting sensory profiles.

As the Earth's temperature rises, the number of regions classified as 'warm' is expanding, and the impact on all winemaking regions is intensifying. In warmer climates, grapes tend to ripen faster, which could lead to an increase in sugar content and subsequently, a higher level of ethanol in the wine. This alteration may result in stronger-tasting wines with less acidity. Moreover, as the grapes ripen, they may lose acidity - a critical factor for the quality of the wine, as it contributes to its taste and aging capacity. A wine with proper acidity will deliver a more balanced flavor and will be more pleasing to the palate.

Climate change and viticulture: challenges and adaptations

As global temperatures rise, winemaking regions are also feeling the heat. This means winemakers must adapt to maintain their wine quality amidst these new challenges. The silver lining here is that there are strategies to counter these impacts and ensure high-quality wine production, even in warmer climates. These strategies include specific cultivation practices and the preservation of soil biodiversity.

Certain cultivation practices can help maintain the acidity of the grapes. These include choosing grape varieties that are naturally more acidic, managing irrigation to control vine growth, and timing the harvest to ensure the grapes are picked before they lose too much acidity. Concepts once unimaginable to winemakers, such as removing native varieties, increasing irrigation, and advancing the harvest, may become normalized practices in the coming years.

Soil biodiversity plays a crucial role in viticulture. A diverse, rich soil can contribute to the vine's resilience and the wine's quality. Therefore, protecting soil biodiversity emerges as a key strategy to counter the impacts of warmer climates and climate change on wine production, as evidenced in recent articles from Vinetur relating to such practices based on studies and research.

Climate change is a global challenge affecting many aspects of our lives, and wine production is no exception. Through research and the application of new techniques and practices, winemakers are finding ways to adapt and ensure the quality of their wines. Despite the significant challenges, the resilience and innovation displayed by the wine industry provide hope for the future of wine in a warmer world.

Oenological correction

Finally, it's essential to mention the crucial work undertaken in the cellar by oenologists. In addition to cultivation practices, winemaking techniques can be employed during wine production to correct the lack of acidity and excess ethanol in the wines. For instance, molecular exchange procedures can be utilized to reduce ethanol content. Furthermore, the bioacidifying effect of certain fermentative microorganism species can be used to increase acidity. Other techniques currently under study could offer new solutions in the future.