The wine industry’s battle with climate change

High Country News ^ | May 1, 2017 | by Emily Benson

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Winery owner Brent Helleckson’s hands flew among his budding grapevines, pruning off bits of cane as a spring breeze ruffled the plastic tape keeping the vines trellised to wires. On the other side of Western Colorado’s North Fork Valley, snow lingered on mountain peaks, a reminder of the wintery weather that circumscribes the vineyard’s operations. “In theory we’re done with frost now,” Helleckson said. “But I wouldn’t bet on it.”

In a warming West, areas where wine grapes are growing at the limit of their cold tolerance may see a respite from frigid, plant-damaging winters. Warmer areas, meanwhile, including parts of California, may become too hot for the high-quality wine grapes that thrived there in the past. Thanks to the resilient nature of grapevines and the growing demand for regional wine, experts don’t expect vineyards to disappear from the West.

To keep producing top-notch grapes, viticulturists may need to relocate their operations. In California and Washington, for example, some growers are already planting vineyards further north or moving up in elevation, Keller says. They can also combat the heat by hanging shade cloth or positioning rows on a sun-sheltered north-facing slope. Another option is to grow varieties that are better suited to a warmer or drier climate, though that can become a moving target as the climate continues to change.

“Is the Colorado wine industry going to crash?” Hammon asks. “No, it’s going to adapt.” That will be true of the West’s wine industry overall as growers and producers face the realities of climate change.

[justa-hairyape]

Conveniently ignores the wrecking of Western Europes vinyards last week. Due to cold.

[Night Hides Not]

Now wine comes from all sorts of unlikely places like Oregon, Virginia or Long Island. Not to mention practically every civilized nation on earth. We are very rich in wine.

Texas has grown from the #10 producer to #6 over the past five years. Napa has become more of a real estate play, as real estate prices are approaching $3-5 million an acre.

That's why areas like Roseburg OR, and Idaho are seeing interest as wine producing regions. Roseburg's got a lot of farmland suitable for growing grapes. I don't know what a typical acre costs, a quick search threw out estimates between $15K to $50K per acre. Last time I was there, Roseburg had two dozen wineries and over $30 million had recently been invested new vineyards.

I lived along the Mosel for four years, it got plenty cold during the winter, and the low today in Traben-Trarbach was 41, typical for that time of year. OTOH, it was 45 degrees when I started my car this morning (Dallas), which means climate change is affecting us too.

[Yaelle]

Yes, these climate change worriers are freaks! Somehow people migrated throughout human history. Even taking hold in very cold climates, hot ones, too. We can handle this.