14 DAY TRIAL // Experts reached the conclusion that the climate change phenomenon affects the wine production in important regions like Napa Valley.
The increasing temperatures have a negative influence upon several types of grapes which are cultivated in California, so now major wineries that operate on this threatened market plan to replace some of the species that they have been cultivating for a long period of time.
“That's the big problem. We've spent the last 100 years emphasizing varieties, and we've really marketed those names very effectively,” declared Andy Walker, a grape breeder from the University of California, Davis.
[admark=1]During a meeting organized by the San Francisco Wine Lovers Group, the public indicated that some of the most appreciated wines are pinot noirs, sauvignon blancs or cabernets.
All these assortments are manufactured in California, and therefore put in danger by the unfriendly environment.
Despite the fact that the university's winery explores the potential of several kinds of grapes, their qualities remain unknown for a significant segment of public, mainly because most of the buyers are focused on French grape varieties which prefer decreased temperatures.
This strategy might make their profit margins decrease, since wine consumers have already established their preferences a long time ago.
Now the main challenge is to introduce new kinds of grapes in their vineyards, which are more compatible with a warmer climate, without affecting the popularity of their line of products.
Hot temperatures are one of the most dangerous enemies for the wine industry, since scientists established that they are responsible for changing the color and the taste of wine while also making its acidity fade away.
Even more alarming seems to be the fact that, if the temperatures increase their value by 2 degrees, the entire wine production will decrease by up to 50% until 2040.
Experts in this industry try to re-adapt grape varieties to the new climate conditions, but this appears to be a difficult task, since grapes aren't as adaptable as other crops are.
“This essentially means that grapes have not really been having sex very much,” according to Sean Myles, from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College.
Even if scientists manage to cross-breed different species, the wineries would have to deal with another bump in the road.
They would have to think about strategies of rebranding for their products, since one can't really call a wine “pinot noir” unless it is made out of this particular kind of grapes.