Climate Change and French Wine?

French wine may very well become a thing of the past because of climate change. Scientists believe that man-made greenhouse gases warming the planet are expected to shift viticulture regions towards higher elevations, cooler coastal zones, and towards the poles. It seems that Bordeaux is on track to have a climate similar to France’s southern Languedoc region. According to Bernard Seguin, a climatologist with the French National Agronomy Institute, the projected climate changes threaten the very definition of wine in France. Essentially, each one-degree increase in temperature in France is equivalent to moving 200 kilometers. With current the current climate warming trends, the north coast of France will be experiencing weather that today is common for the south of France by the end of the century. Up till now, global warming has been great for French wine, as rising temperatures have produced wines with higher sugars and alcohol levels and lower acids that are very popular. However, Michel Chapoutier, a famous Hermitage producer in the northern Rhone believes his wines' increased popularity has come at a price. “I’m nervous about the future," Chapoutier says. "Yes, we have more and more good vintages now, but we have to choose between vegetal wines or ones that taste like jam." With climate change leading to changing environments, French wine is most likely headed for an unpredictable future. French wine production is a climatically sensitive endeavor. For ideal quality each variety is grown in specific regions within narrow climatic variability. The reality is that the average temperature is starting to increase and harvesting season is occurring much earlier than normal. With current GHG emission levels, we are on the path to an increase in temperatures of four to six degrees Celsius between now and 2100. A dramatic scenario such as this would lead to a large displacement of vines. French wine requires a specific environment/territory and a specific climate. Relocation of vineyards to more suitable climates will change the wine. A continued warming climate trend will change French wine forever.

http://www.azcentral.com/style/hfe/drinks/articles/2007/03/02/20070302wineclimate0302.html

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/features/french-wine-climate040909/