How about a fine Champagne from Southern England or perhaps an exceptional German Claret with tonight’s dinner. There are also the pinot noir’s from Alaska to consider as well as superb Canadian chardonnay. Sound silly? The truth may not be as silly as it sounds.

            We are not talking about new types of vines or special methods of grape growing. What we are talking about is global warming and we are not projecting into the far future either. The effects are here and now and are making world wide winemakers cringe.

            Great grapes cannot be grown just anyplace. To get the really fine wine grapes that are used to make the better wines takes a whole series of natural events as well as intervention by man. Most grape growers and winemakers know this to be a fact and have searched out perfect places in the world where topography, soil, and climate come together to produce high quality grapes and wine. A vineyard for fine wines should be located on low sloping hills with well drained soil. There must be adequate sunshine and rainfall and most important, the climate must not be to hot or too cold. Centuries ago, in France, the birthplace of modern wine, it was discovered exactly where to place a vineyard to get the best grapes by the simple hit and miss method. There are places in France where a great vineyard is just across a narrow road from a poor or mediocre vineyard. In Northern California there are large areas such as the Napa Valley and Sonoma County where all of the factors are in place on a massive scale and it is almost impossible to grow inferior grapes.

            It is in the realm of climate where the global warming comes in. Areas that were formally cold are warming up. Areas which were warm, but adequate for grape growing, are becoming too hot for the vine to produce well. This is not as impossible as it sounds. The past few vintages in Southern Italy and Greece have been the worse in memory and scientist in these countries are convinced that global warming is the cause of the problem.

            All of this is not as bad as it seems. Global warming is in part caused by an increase in the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. In the short term, what has resulted from this greenhouse effect on the fine wine districts of California is a remarkable decrease of spring frosts (which retard the growth of grapes) and thus longer time for the grapes to ripen on the vine; a very positive result. The additional carbon dioxide in the air also seems to stimulate the vines to grow and produce quality grapes. All in all, both these events have resulted in better grapes and as a corollary, better wines. 

We must however, concern ourselves with the long run as well as the short. If the trend continues, new grape growing areas will open as the temperature rises. Areas that were formerly too cold for fine grapes will develop climates that are very conducive to grape growing. Right now, in Canada, a country formerly thought to be to cold for wine grape cultivation, chardonnay and pinot noir grapes are being successfully grown. Southern England, where grapes were grown a century ago but became too cold for their cultivation, is showing a rebirth of a wine industry. The area is made up of chalk hills, similar to the Champagne district of France. It is possible that the area could produce sparkling wines that would rival those of Champagne. New Zealand is another wine grape growing country where climate had limited the choice of vine types, is also expanding the selection of grapes that they can grow. And the list is growing.

To most of us, at this time, global warming is of little consequence. It can and will influence our lives in the near future. Whether it is a man made event or a natural one, its effects will be felt and our way of life will be altered. If it is for the good or the bad; only the future will tell. 

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