Viticulture is the world’s third most profitable crop after potatoes and tomatoes, worth $68 billion in 2016, according to a report published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment (“Climate change impacts and adaptations of wine production“). World production in 2020 reached 80 million tons of grapes. Of these, 49% were converted into wine and spirits, while 43% were consumed as fresh grapes and 8% as raisins.
But rising temperatures could change the geography of wine production, experts say, as current wine-growing areas may become unsuitable for growing grapes. It is estimated that around 90% of traditional wine-growing areas in the coastal and lowland regions of Spain, Italy, Greece and southern California could be at risk of disappearing by the end of the century due to extreme drought and more frequent heat waves.
At the same time, warmer temperatures may increase suitability for other regions (Washington, Oregon, Tasmania, northern France) and lead to the emergence of new wine-growing regions, such as the southern United Kingdom. On the one hand, new wine-growing areas will appear in places that were previously considered unsuitable, on the other hand, issues related to the preservation of the environment will arise. In addition, the report outlines the scenario of the emergence of new pests and diseases, while extreme weather events (heat, heavy rains, hail) are a challenge.
Already, the Italian winemakers of the Terra dei Re winery, in order to protect their precious vines from climate change and rising temperatures, have dared to “climb” higher than the other producers in the region and cultivate at an altitude of 800 meters on the slopes of the inactive of Monte Vulture volcano in Basilicata, Italy.
The company has adopted all the necessary actions so that there are no contradictions that will alter the character of nature and has trained their staff about the ways that will pollute the environment less. Thus, they gather data to record the flow of emissions by analyzing the life cycle of the wines, monitor energy consumption in the vineyard and know the environmental impact of transporting the products, while knowing exactly how much energy is being spent in the cellar by specifically intervening where excessive consumption. Energy is produced with photovoltaic systems, rainwater is collected in special tanks and reused in agriculture, energy consumption has been reduced and after 10 years of studies and data collection, the environmental impact per bottle has been determined. Accordingly, measures have been implemented to reduce emissions by 30%.
The solution of “robust” vines that can withstand extreme conditions. They grow everywhere, even in the deserts of Israel and in tropical areas. Now winegrowers are starting to think about expanding into countries like the Netherlands and Northern Europe. This type of customization is now possible. But not everything is easy. If very high temperatures and drought limit the availability of water, new irrigation systems will have to be developed.
