Grape Growers Are Feeling the Heat of Global Warming

Thanks to global warming, well established wine-producing regions such as California's Napa and Sonoma Valley as well as Northern France's Burgundy region may be facing tough times ahead. The frequency of extremely hot days across the globe is beginning to redefine wine production as we know it and could prove disastrous for many famed wine grape growers.

Too hot days are wreaking havoc on grapes and growing conditions. Grapes used in premium wines need a consistent climate; even the smallest changes in temperature can mean the difference in taste and quality between an expensive wine produced by century old vines and those used for some ubiquitous cooking wine. Findings in a paper published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences earlier this year state that within the U.S., regions that are suitable for growing premium wine grapes may be reduced by 50% and quite possibly by over 80% by the end of the century if warming trends continue on as expected.

No where has this been felt more than by winemakers in California's Napa Valley. According to an article in USA Today, "In Napa, the minimum temperature has gone up nearly 5 degrees over the past 75 years, while growing season has increased by more than 50 days." Because of increased temperatures, a grape's necessary natural fermentation is advanced thus making them harvest-ready all the sooner.

Crush season is happening earlier for many as a result. Once seen as a September ritual, grapes are now ripening at a faster rate and a month earlier than normal and require harvesting during the night when temperatures are cooler. Those vineyards set in climates more conducive to wine grape growing in the U.S. are faring well and may usurp some of Northern California's claim to the multi-million dollar wine industry. Upstate New York's Finger Lake region, Long Island's North Fork as well as Washington State's Puget Sound and both Michigan's coastal zone and Virginia wine-making regions aren't as affected by the warming trends just yet.

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