Global change, sustainability and challenges for grape and wine production
Abstract
Grapevines are cultivated on 6 out of 7 continents, between latitudes 4° and 51° in the Northern Hemisphere and between 6° and 45° in the Southern Hemisphere across a large diversity of climates (oceanic, warm oceanic, transition temperate, continental, cold continental, Mediterranean, subtropical, attenuated tropical, and arid climates). Accordingly, the range and magnitude of environmental factors differ considerably from region to region and so do the principal environmental constraints for grape production. The type, number and magnitude of environmental constraints are currently undergoing changes due to shifts in climate patterns already observed for the past and predicted for the future. These changes are already affecting grape composition with observed changes in sugar and acid concentrations. As with other components such as polyphenols or aroma compounds, their relationships to environmental changes are more difficult to quantify. In general, one can divide the expected climatic changes during the grape ripening period into two scenarios; warmer and dryer, and warmer and moister with different responses for red and white grape varieties. The production challenges within this broad separation are vastly different and the strategies to ensure sustainable production need to be adapted accordingly.
Issue: GiESCO 2015
Type: Extended abstract
Authors
1 Geisenheim University, von-Lade-Str. 1, 65366 Geisenheim, Germany
Keywords
global change, variability, soils, mineralization, nitrogen, CO2 concentration, water footprint