Workers at vineyards around the world are asking themselves: what do the people want? Well, wine, of course. But providing that as our climate grows warmer will require resorting to grape varieties that are currently on the brink of extinction.
Global winemakers are facing a serious dilemma.
As a result of climate change, their once-reliant grape vines are starting to produce fruit with altered tastes. Sometimes, the grapes hardly grow at all. Extreme heat, lack of rainfall, and shortened growing seasons are weakening crops, threatening to change the taste of wines we know and love.
In Spanish vineyards, grapes have begun to ripen faster due to hotter climates. Harvest dates have needed to be brought forward in order to ensure that the balance of the grapes’ sweetness and acidity is maintained for thirsty wine drinkers.
Those producing wine in the region say that the effects of climate change have posed an even bigger threat than the invasion of pests and major outbreaks of plant illnesses recorded in previous centuries.
As a result, winemakers are looking to ancient grape varieties for hope. By investigating different grape vines cultivated throughout history, they are hoping to find plant varieties that ripen later and can withstand increasingly hotter climates.
Bringing back the dead
Lucky for us, there are a significant number of grape varieties available. And interestingly, many varieties being brought back into the mainstream wine scene were nearing the brink of extinction.
In the past, these varieties had been largely phased out to make room for more growth-efficient varieties. In some cases, the grapes were not strong enough to stand up to plant diseases, causing them to be abandoned during the widespread phylloxera plagues of the 19th century.
Others, though surviving the plagues, were not given space in vineyards as consumers gained a taste for more prestigious grape varieties and particular flavours of wines.
But in 2023, we are living through a sort-of Renaissance period for wine. Consumer palettes are expanding rapidly, making room for different flavour profiles and winemaking techniques from around the world. If you haven’t heard, orange and ‘organic’ wines are having a moment amongst wine-lovers.
This timing has worked out, miraculously, to our advantage.
With consumers ready and willing to try wine varieties novel to them, but not necessarily to historians of wine, vineyards around the world are successfully reviving numerous grapes varieties once thought to be left in the past.
Options, options, options
To do so requires experimentation. Getting them onto the market also requires gaining official certification from commercial organisations.
For example, the mourtaou grape from the south of France is a fruit that has been sparsely used in the wines of recent decades. However, vineyards in California have started to explore its use for red wines, thanks to its drought-resistant properties.
In France, trials are ongoing to boost the availability of at least six climate-resistant grapes. One of these varities is also disease-resistant, which will be important as we grapple with the unpredictable health consequences of climate change.
In Spain, the work of those reviving heat and drought-resistant grapes has helped to boost the number of commercially approved varieties by fifty percent over the last twenty years.
These numbers aren’t just worth celebrating for those who love wine. The efforts of those experimenting with grape varieties signal a lifeline for Spain’s economy, as the national wine production industry is worth €5 billion annually.
It’s clear that, when it comes to winemaking, we have a lot more to lose from climate change than an after-work pino grigio. The livelihoods of people in the industry and national economy of many countries will depend on the revival of once-forgotten plant species.
Deputy Editor & Content Partnership ManagerLondon, UK
I’m Jessica (She/Her). I’m the Deputy Editor & Content Partnership Manager at Thred. Originally from the island of Bermuda, I specialise in writing about ocean health and marine conservation, but you can also find me delving into pop culture, health and wellness, plus sustainability in the beauty and fashion industries. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.
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