Earlier, they used to worry about grapes not ripening enough. Now, some of its most prized varieties are ripening too well, too early.
This shift has gone far beyond only production, and is now threatening one of the world’s most famous wine regions’ core identity.
Beyond rising temperatures, the uncertainty of weather patterns can create an even more complex challenge now. With climate changes becoming increasingly more unpredictable every year, wine producers are often left scrambling to implement coping mechanisms.
“France saw an early bud burst this year, followed by overnight freezing temperatures the last weekend in March, with many winemakers from Champagne through to Bordeaux having to put anti-frost measures in place overnight to avoid the frost killing off delicate buds that could have ruined their entire year’s crop,” Adam Stebbings, founder and CEO of wine tourism company SmoothRed, told Forbes in an email.
Why fine wine has entered a new era of climate competition
Today, much of Bordeaux and Médoc’s fine wine is dealing with new types of climate pressures and competition.
While this is creating fresh opportunities for certain grape varieties, others are finding their identities irrevocably changed.
This is already being seen in historic wine estates like Château Paveil de Luze in Médoc. Dating back to the 17th century, it has been owned and managed by the de Luze family for seven generations.
“Our terroir is perfectly suited to Cabernet Sauvignon, which traditionally sometimes struggled to reach the desired level of ripeness in certain vintages, but now expresses itself beautifully,” Marguerite de Luze, co-owner of the estate.
She added: “Conversely, Merlot is now reaching potential alcohol levels at harvest that no longer necessarily correspond to the style of Margaux wines we aim to produce – wines known for their freshness, finesse and complex aromatic bouquet.”
According to Fine + Rare, Merlot alcohol levels can now often reach above 14.5% ABV, due to increasing temperatures boosting sugar content in the grape variety, instead of the ideal 12.5% to 13.5% target.
This shift is creating added complexity as consumers still expect the same quality across vintages, regardless of weather and grape alcohol changes, which means producers have to be even more vigilant about managing differences.
Changing climate also means earlier growing seasons, which can bring its own set of unpredictable and difficult to manage challenges.
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