Wine grape growing regions are gradually shifting northward in the Northern Hemisphere

Original title: Wine grape growing regions in the Northern Hemisphere are shifting northward

Image credit: James Daisa

First it was coffee, then chocolate. Now, researchers predict that climate change will affect another delicacy: wine. Recently, data presented by scientists at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting show that by 2100, Washington State will replace Northern California as the region with the most diverse wine production in the western United States.

The two most famous wines currently produced in these regions -- Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir -- may have to "settle" elsewhere, because 80 years from now these grapes will be growing under conditions in which it is impossible for them to remain normal. To generate their projections, the researchers mapped the diversity of grapes grown in the major wine-producing regions of the United States, and then modeled future climate change using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's high-emissions "business as usual" scenario. The "business as usual" scenario predicts that global temperatures will rise by 2.6°C to 4.8°C by 2100.

The data show that over the same period, the number of wine grape varieties grown in Napa and other parts of California will decline from several dozen to fewer than 10, while northern Washington and British Columbia, Canada will experience an explosive increase in the number of grape varieties that can be grown.

The data indicate that European grape growing regions are also moving northward. However, not all hope is lost: because grape varieties ripen at different rates and grow at different temperatures and altitudes, the researchers believe that expanding wine regions now to accommodate more grape varieties will help regional producers survive. (Xu Xu)