Climate change could make 70% of wine-making regions unsuitable

Do you enjoy a nice glass of wine with dinner? You may notice some changes in your favorite varieties over the next few decades. According to new research, rising temperatures could have a significant impact on the globe's wine-growing regions.

A new study published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment has some dire news for wine producers worldwide. According to the study, up to 70% of current wine-producing regions could face a substantial risk of losing their suitability for wine-growing if global temperatures continue to increase.

Many of the regions known for producing wine are located in the mid-latitudes, including southern France, California, and northern Spain. However, climate change could change the geography of wine production as warmer temperatures can impact grape yield, quality at harvest, and the overall quality of the wine produced. The researchers say that warmer weather has already begun moving grape harvests earlier by about two to three weeks on average worldwide in the last 40 years. Earlier harvests can change a wine’s flavor profile and impact quality.

The research found that, depending on the degree of global warming, 49% to 70% of existing wine regions are at substantial risk of becoming unsuitable for wine production. Even more concerning, about 90% of the traditional wine regions in coastal and lowland regions of Spain, Italy, Greece and southern California could be at risk of disappearing by the end of the century because of excessive drought and more frequent heatwaves with climate change.

However, there is some good news. Regions that were formerly too cool for wine-making are expected to become more suitable as global temperatures rise. The Pacific Northwest, Northern Germany, and Scandinavia may see more wine production in the coming decades.