2023-10-25 11:00:05
Does a good vintage for wine depend on the climate? A new study published in the journal iScience suggests that climate change might improve the quality of wines, but only up to a point.
The study looks at the scores given by wine critics in Bordeaux over several decades. Years rated as good are characterized by warmer temperatures, greater differences between seasons, and shorter, earlier growing seasons. These conditions, more and more frequent with global warming, promote photosynthesis (Photosynthesis (Greek φῶς phōs, light and…). This process produces more sugar (What we usually call sugar is, 1406, a “mild flavor substance…), which leads to higher alcohol content. According to Andrew Wood, lead author of the study, these elements contribute to stronger, sweeter and less acidic wines, preferred by most people.
But this news is not entirely encouraging. Climate change also increases the risk of extreme events, such as fires and hailstorms. A critical threshold of drought can also ruin a vintage, causing the grapes to fall from the vine.
Andrew Wood points out that we may be approaching the point where wine quality starts to deteriorate rather than improve. Lack of water (Water is a chemical compound ubiquitous on Earth, essential for all…) during periods of high heat (In common language, the words heat and temperature often have an equivalent meaning:… .) might also lead to catastrophic consequences for vineyards.
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