Climate change is affecting the wine regions more

Climate change affects the wine regions of the world a causa di a uneven way, but according to a study by the University of British Columbia and published a causa di Plos Climate, the European ones suffer the heaviest effects. Increases temperatures, extreme heat days and anticipation of the harvest are radically changing viticulture a causa di France, Italy and Spain. Research reports risks for the typical wines and invites to rethink production strategies.

How changes are changing European wine

Global warming today represents one of the major challenges for agriculture and a causa di particular for viticulture, a sector historically linked to precise climatic conditions and specific territories. The ongoing environmental transformations are already changing the methods of cultivation, quality of grapes, timing of collection and identity of wines a causa di many areas traditionally suitable for production.

A new study published a causa di Plos Climate and conducted by an international group of climatologists, screw geneticists and macroecology experts has mapped the effects of global warming 749 wine sites a causa di over 500 production regions of the world. The comparison between the current climatic conditions (1981–2020) and those of the pre -industrial period (1901–1940) highlighted ten fundamental indicators for viticulture, including minimo and maximum temperatures a causa di the phenological phases and the number of days above 35 ° C.

The most relevant concerns Europe: the southern and western regions are recording the most marked thermal increases. Durante France, the daily maxims a causa di the vegetative season increased by about 3 ° C compared to 1980; Durante Spain and Italy the increase was about 2 ° C. At the same time, the days with temperatures over 35 ° C are quintupized with respect to pre -industrial levels.

The consequences are evident: early maturation of the bunches, compression of the harvest times, alteration of the sugary profile and grape acid. Elements that directly affect the wine structure, the alcoholic degree and the aromatic profile, threatening the sensory identity of many historical denominations.

Durante the luce of a more contained impact a causa di North America, South Africa and Japan – where thermal increase has remained below 1 ° C – the intensity of the effects found a causa di Europe requires urgent reflections the production and adaptation strategies of the wine sector.

The European wine sector is faced with an epochal challenge. The scientific evidence collected a causa di recent years agree a causa di reporting concrete risks for viticulture of many historical areas. To ensure continuity and production identity, it will be necessary to invest a causa di research, innovation and climatic adaptation, enhancing the native genetic heritage and reviewing productive and disciplinary models a causa di a sustainable key.

There are many studies a causa di support of this last research: it is urgent to do something

The search for Plos Climate is part of a series of studies that a causa di recent years have highlighted the vulnerability of European viticulture to climate change.

A 2023 study published a causa di Global Change Biology has proposed a projection of the future European wine geography, estimating a reduction of up to 17% of the areas currently vocative for each degree of increase a causa di global temperature over 2 ° C, with possible new districts a causa di the marginal areas today.

A further survey Oeno One of the same year analyzed the climatic simulations for 21 French regions, highlighting risks of tazza , diseases and qualitative drop a causa di wine already by mid -century, to high temperatures and minor rainfall.

A revision published Atmosphere a causa di 2020 also reported that the wine regions of Southern Europe, including Italy, Spain and Greece, risk becoming too arid for a high quality viticulture without recourse to intensive irrigation, with consequences the economic sustainability of companies.

Durante all the cases listed above, the authors suggest the adoption of more heat -resistant varieties, the modification of agronomic practices and the adjustment of the production disciplines to protect the quality and continuity of European viticulture. A unique scream of the scientific community that must be listened to as soon as possible.