Climate change directly affects many aspects of our lives—including what some of us may drink on a Saturday night.
Stacker curated a list of how climate change affects the wine industry and how wineries are working to combat climate change. To round out our reporting, we also sought the perspective of experts in viticulture and the wine industry. We spoke, for example, to the authors of a 2019 study on climate change and viticulture, Associate Professor of Geography at the University of South Alabama Steven Schultze and Associate Professor of the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University Paolo Sabbatini. Additionally, we sought the perspective of a small-business winery directly affected by climate change, Silver Thread Vineyards. Shannon Brock is the co-owner and estate manager of Silver Thread, located on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. The International Wineries for Climate Action also provided additional background information.
Wineries across the world face devastating wildfires, polar vortexes, torrential rainfalls, hail storms, and more in addition to the constant rising temperatures year to year. The tradition of grape-growing in regions around the world—which in some instances span hundreds of years and are deeply rooted in the cultures of these countries—continues to be disrupted. Climate change has pushed the entire industry to new limits, from new growing regions and hybrid developments to how the wine tastes when it reaches the table.
The wine industry at large, though conscious of carbon emissions, still perpetuates climate change. The growing process represents a small factor in overall greenhouse gases, while transportation, bottling, and waste represent nearly 80% of total emissions across the industry. Despite the carbon footprint of winemaking and distribution, it pales in comparison to the 100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions, of which not a single wine operation made the list. Climate change forces wineries to deal with the ramifications of rising temperatures and extreme weather, leaving vineyards vulnerable in the face of an environmental crisis.
Keep reading to see how climate change is affecting the wine industry and how its leaders are working to mitigate those effects.
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