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Climate change forces French vineyards to change their winemaking methods
Release time:
2024-08-08
According to the Wall Street Journal website on the 25th, on a dry summer day, wildfires broke out in the forest next to the Libert vineyard. Winemaker Loik Pakey saw flames rising and pushing towards his precious grape vines
According to the Wall Street Journal website on the 25th, on a dry summer day, wildfires broke out in the forest next to the Libert vineyard. Winemaker Loik Pakey saw flames rising and pushing towards his precious grape vines. Pakai and his men cleared the grass around the vineyard to prevent a fire, while digging trenches to block the spread of the flames. He also sprayed trees with water extracted from the vineyard pond. The vineyard was spared.
The above emergency measures are only part of the actions taken by grape growers to survive. Many growers start harvesting grapes a few weeks before they traditionally ripen; Other growers invest in land with cooler climates. Some are changing the landscape of vineyards by planting more trees to improve water retention.
The report also stated that this region produces the world's finest wines, but the situation has been too severe recently, so winemakers in Bordeaux and other regions have begun to change their practices for generations. In France, wine making is strictly regulated, with regulations ranging from the location of specific wine regions to grape content.
This year, vineyards throughout Bordeaux have been granted permission to irrigate grapevines, which is usually not allowed. The French organization responsible for managing wine producing regions recently approved the addition of six grape varieties to the list currently allowed for Bordeaux wine production. All of these varieties were selected for their ability to thrive in warmer and drier conditions.
In February, United Nations climate scientists released a report stating that surface temperatures in the Mediterranean region, including southern France, have risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius since the pre industrial era.
The report points out that wine grapes are highly sensitive to climate change. Sunlight heats and ripens grapes, producing sugar that is converted into alcohol. Too much sunlight may roast grapes and increase alcohol content, resulting in the fruity aroma of wine mixed with the taste of jam.
According to reports, some small growers have started investing in land that was once considered too windy to grow grapes, including Brittany and Normandy on the Atlantic coast of France. But according to regulations, growers must label wine bottles based on their production area. That is to say, true Bordeaux wine cannot be produced outside the area surrounding the river that supplies water to the mouth of the Gironde River in southwestern France.
In March of this year, unusually warm weather in some places caused grapevines to sprout early, and then suffered a severe blow from the late frost in April. Growers plant candles around the vineyard to keep the grapes warm, and use helicopters to disperse stagnant air. Subsequently, a summer drought occurred, and as rivers dried up, most parts of France had to implement water restriction measures.
The Wine Producers Association states that on average, grape harvest time is three weeks earlier than 30 years ago.
