Large chunks of ice from an iceberg are scattered across a black sandy beach with breaking waves. There are large powerlines and mountains in the background.

Climate Change

Climate change affects the variability of storms and also, depending on which global climate scenarios are used, an increase in average temperature will often be seen. Using down-scaled 4.5 degree (RCP4.5) average shifts across the globe over the next 50-60 years, a general shift of wine growing regions southward and northward will occur, and perhaps the loss of some wine regions closer to the equator, yet technology and a reduction in frost may improve matters.

Top 5 negatively affected broad wine regions for climate change using a limited scenario set (however, all are shown to have a decrease in frost days; and new varietals are being discovered):

  1. Southern Italy, Southern Spain

  2. Egypt & Merti Jeju, Ethiopia

  3. Northern Mexico

  4. Southern India

  5. Northern Argentina, Southern Brazil

Top 5 positively affected broad wine regions for climate change (only based on temperature shift, frost day reduction to varietals available):

  1. Northern Europe

  2. Canada and northern USA

  3. United Kingdom

  4. Tasmania, New Zealand

  5. Northern China