The French have been making wine the same way for centuries. However, National Public Radio says climate change is altering things. The landscape is falling victim to erratic weather, heat and even drought. A warming climate is changing wine characteristics French vintners have jealously guarded for centuries.
How Drier Hotter Climate Is Changing Wine
NPR cites two wine making brothers in an article posted November 5, 2019. Remi and Gregoire Couppé are fourth generation wine farmers in the Bordeaux region of southwestern France. Their top vintage, grand cru St. Emilion is not turning out the way it used to, and they are struggling to know what to do.
Changing climate is changing wine, Remi Couppé says. “Because of the grapes: they show us the change,” he explains. “Especially in alcohol, the alcohol level has been getting higher in the last five years.” Scientific American explains this is a worldwide trend, and it suppresses the fruity, herbaceous or earthy aromas in fine white wines. These days alcohol can reach 15% Remi says. When he was a boy it was never more than 12%.
Increasing Sun and Heat is Changing More Than Grapes
The warming climate is increasing sugar levels in grapes, and this converts to more alcohol during fermentation. Moreover, new weeds have migrated from the south and mechanized harvesting risks them contaminating the wine.
Remi and Gregoire no longer remove the grape leaves before harvesting to enrich the fruit. For if they do, the grapes shrivel away into raisins. Meanwhile, there are more frequent hailstones that smash the delicate crop. Bordeaux winemakers will have to adapt to new ways of doing things, as we will all too.
The French wine-making authority has approved seven new grape cultivars for Bordeaux wines to compensate for the warmer weather.
But is this more than just buying time? How long before we say climate is changing wine making again, and what must we do now?
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Preview Image: Vineyards in Bordeaux
