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Revealed: The popular wines most at risk from climate change - so, is your favourite variety in the firing line?

Revealed: The popular wines most at risk from climate change - so, is your favourite variety in the firing line?

Daily Mail​21-05-2025

Whether it's a Pinot Noir from Burgundy or a Rosado from Rioja, Europe is home to some of the most popular wines in the world.
But these delicious varieties could soon change forever - thanks to climate change.
Experts have warned that wine grapes in France, Spain and Italy have seen the most significant increases in high temperatures during the growing season.
And the result could mean wines become sweeter, more intense and even more alcoholic.
The team, from the University of British Columbia, studied the phenology of wine grapes.
This refers to how the different stages of growth and reproduction are affected by the environment over the course of a year.
They used data from more than 500 grapevine varieties from around the world and looked at 10 different measures of climate.
This included the lowest temperatures during dormancy and when buds emerge, heat extremes during the growing season, and temperature and rainfall during harvest.
Analysis revealed that Europe has experienced the greatest shift since the 1970s, with the most significant increases in the number of hot days over 35°C (95°F) and the highest temperatures during the growing season.
Some of the most popular wines currently grown in Europe include Pinot Noir and Sancerre from France, Rioja from Spain and Brunello di Montalcino in Italy.
Pinot Blanc is a white wine grape that is also widely grown across Europe, particularly in France, Italy, Germany and Austria.
Studies have shown that warmer temperatures are shifting the regions suitable for winegrowing toward the poles.
Meanwhile traditional regions are yielding grapes that ripen faster and have higher sugar levels, which alters the taste of wine.
This could make wine taste sweeter and have a higher alcohol content, as sugar is converted to alcohol during the fermentation process.
The acidity of wine also declines in warmer climates, which means the wine could taste less fresh and have less 'zest'.
Meanwhile pigments in wine called anthocyanins – which are responsible for the red and purple colours - break down under heat.
Tannins, which are important for how wine feels in the mouth, may not develop enough if grapes are harvested early to curb rising sugar levels.
Writing in the journal Plos Climate the researchers said: 'Metrics of heat extremes for regions in Western/Southern Europe and in Eastern Europe showed by far the largest increases and suggest a new world of European winegrowing that has few parallels to European winegrowing of 40-50 years before.
'Europe's northern latitudinal location positions it for more extreme warming overall as northern latitudes warm the most.
'Our analyses highlight that Europe has experienced the most severe shift in summer heat – with days above 35°C and maximum temperatures most years now far outside of what was experienced before significant warming.
'Impacts of this new, hotter climate include lower grape yields, heat damage to berries and vegetation, and an industry that is rapidly working to adapt.'
Lead author Elizabeth Wolkovich said: 'I was very surprised by the level of warming across the globe, but especially in Europe, where our results show clearly just how much the growing season has warmed with human-caused climate change.
'As someone who has visited Europe for over 15 years, I have witnessed the increasing heat waves, but seeing the data -- and how much change growers are facing -- was sobering and even higher than I expected.'
WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO TASTE WINE PROPERLY?
When it comes to drinking wine, there a few things that can make all the difference.
Australian wine-connoisseur Caitlyn Rees offers how to taste wines like an expert
Step 1: See
Before you even down that first sip, you first need to take a look at the wine in your glass.
'See refers to the appearance of the wine. This is where you can check the clarity, intensity and colour.
'If the wine is hazy it could be faulty but more likely unfiltered.'
Step 2: Swirl
You've probably seen wine drinkers swirl the wine in their glass before taking a sip.
The reason is to allowed the wine to 'open up' and reveal the maximum amount of aroma, flavour and intensity.
'Swirling releases the aroma particles that make the next step, smell, more helpful.'
Step 3: Smell
Smelling wine serves two purposes. It helps you detect scents and flavours as well as providing a way to check for faults.
Once you've taken in the full aroma of the wine, now it's time to sip.
Unless the wine you are tasting has gone bad, the final step in the process of wine tasting is to swallow.
The trick though isn't to gulp it down.

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