Projected impacts of climate change on viticulture over France wine-regions using downscalled CMIP6 multi-model data

Introduction

Winegrape is a crop for which the quality and the identity of the final product depends strongly on the climatic conditions of the year. By impacting production systems and the way in which wines are developed, climate change represents a major challenge for the wine industry (Ollat et al., 2021). 

Assessing major changes in the vineyard expected in the future is a highly uncertain exercise, as many factors might affect grapevine growth, cropping conditions and plant diseases. Most studies considering climate change impact focus on grapevine response to temperature and rainfall, either considering change in phenological timing (e.g. García de Cortázar-Atauri, 2017). Only few studies consider changes in phenological timing and climate conditions between key phenological stages (e.g. Sgubin et al., 2022). However, these studies do not account for each region specific training system and cultivar might be different, hence affecting grapevine phenology and water status.