Climate Change Positively Impacts Wine Production, Yet Raises Concerns Among Producers
Climate change has generated a series of impacts around the world. Among them, the effect on winemaking is what catches the attention of Professor Pedro Luiz Côrtes, head of the School of Communications and Arts (ECA) and the Institute of Energy and Environment (IEE) at the University of São Paulo. As the professor explains, the cultivation of grapes that will be used for wine production follows different standards than other fruits. “The quality of the wine resulting from cultivation is better if these grapes are planted in poor, sandy soils with low rainfall. Also interesting is a significant thermal difference between day and night. Preferably, during the harshest winter, when the plants can remain in a dormant stage,” he says.
Côrtes points out that, with the increase in global temperatures, the alcohol content of wines has risen beyond previous standards. The changes have generated crops with a higher concentration of sugars, which, during the fermentation phase, are converted into alcohol.
Excess supply
According to the expert, by offering a more rigorous climate, climate change has initially positively impacted wineries. More and more areas are offering excessive heating during the day and a cooler temperature at night, offering severe temperature differences and less water availability in the soil, which contributes to better production quality.
However, according to the professor, producers are already beginning to project that this substantial improvement in the quality of their wines could bring future losses. “Every year, wine producers meet and evaluate whether that year’s harvest will be considered a special vintage. These special vintages are always highly valued due to their rarity. As harsh conditions have become increasingly common, special wine vintages have been recurring more frequently. This century, for example, already has proportionally more special harvests than the past”, he explains.
New areas capable of reaching this level of special productivity have been emerging due to this same phenomenon. Places such as Patagonia and the Mendoza region, in Argentina, and areas south of Chile, such as the slopes of the Andes, are becoming new hotspots for winemaking. “Chile concentrated its production further north, above Santiago, which is an area more susceptible to harsh winters. Recently, Chile also started producing in the south of the country, in the area close to the coast called the cold coast, an area that was previously not interesting for this type of cultivation”, he concludes.