Climate Change and Wine: Choosing a Conscious Wine

Truthfully, I had not thought too much about climate change and wine: what the effects might be, how the availability might change. Head into any Whole Foods or liquor store and there seems to be more wine than ever before. I choose organic or biodynamic, and then go home to sip, share, and savor.

But two recent articles sparked the conversation in my own head about how climate change and wine are so delicately intertwined. This was certainly a big ‘duh’ moment. Of course we know climate change is real and happening (unless you are a US senator), and of course it is going to affect the wine business in many ways. It’s a big deal for beer too, and dozens of beer companies just signed a climate pact to reduce their climate impact to save the industry. Climate change that brings unseasonal or unprecedented rain, snow, or heat to wine-growing regions is affecting wineries in many ways.

A recent post on Oroeco shared one blogger’s experience in Argentina and how farmers there are adapting to rapid changes in their winery, one of the biggest economic forces in the country. Maddie Weiner says, “the Mendoza region [of Argentina] has already seen increasing temperatures, melting glaciers in the Andes Mountains, changing precipitation patterns, decreasing water availability and unpredictable storms

The good news, Weiner says, is that,

“When managed well, wineries can actually help to sustain their climate and continue to produce delectable wine by minimizing their carbon footprint with practices like implementing irrigation techniques that conserve water, instituting composting processes, building recycling systems, or by choosing organic or biodynamic production methods. More importantly, as global citizens WE can take steps to protect this region and its unique agriculture. We have the responsibility to protect this region so that future generations can see its beauty and taste its deliciousness just as we do now. Choosing [Argentine wineries] that are certified organic, Fair Trade, B Corporations, and have adopted some of the environmentally friendly agricultural techniques listed above.”

On Groundswell, Thalia Patrinos writes that despite the challenges that climate change has wrought for wineries, “being a wine drinker and being an ethical shopper don’t have to be mutually exclusive [and] it’s useful to know what steps [you] can take to ensure purchases are sustainable.”

Her article looks at some of the effects of climate change and how it is affecting wine regions of the world. Grapes, perhaps more so than other crops, are sensitive to their environment because it is their environment that makes wine what it is. This idea the microclimates, soil conditions, temperature and other localized factors affect the flavor of the wine is known as terroir.  Terroir is important for other foods too, but especially important for wine growing regions of the world.

{Related: Book Review of American Terroir}