Terroir 2020 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 A global and regional study on winegrowers’ perceptions and adaptations to climate change

A global and regional study on winegrowers’ perceptions and adaptations to climate change

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the current and future state of the wine sector in the context of climate change, where the goal was to obtain greater understanding on winegrowers’ perceptions and adaptations to a changing climate and its associated impacts. The study sought to provide both a global and regional perspective on these issues.

Methods and Results: Translated in 10 different languages, a survey was elaborated and address to winegrowers in 18 wine producing countries. The survey had a structure of 27 quantitative and qualitative questions based on past, present and future growing conditions. With 3625 questionnaires collected, results were compiled to provide a general context for each targeted country, while for the second database specific for France, results were analysed to consider the regional specificities to increase understanding on this subject. At international and regional level, the majority of winegrowers are observing a changing climate, recognising the shifts in temperatures and rainfall patterns. The level of awareness was higher than 80% for most countries. The observed impacts, especially in Europe, relate typically to an earlier onset in phenological stages and deviations in berry composition. However, impacts on vine yield and diseases are highly variable and less significant. Overall, countries such as Spain highlight the detrimental effects on wine quality, compared to countries such as UK perceiving the beneficial influences. These dissimilarities are also illustrated for French wine growing regions. At international and regional level, winegrowers display a strong awareness that continued climate changes are likely. As most are expecting climate changes to continue, winegrowers assigned various adaptation priorities to ensure the sustainability of grape growing and wine production. The latter depending on many contextual factors that shape winegrowers’ vulnerability to climate variations. 

Conclusions: 

Using survey data collected from 18 wine producing countries, study findings have provided important insights on winegrowers’ perceptions and adaptations to a changing climate. Our study contributes to the sustainable development of well-targeted adaptation measures and strategies in the wine sector. 

Significance and Impact of the Study: This study has a strong international dimension, allowing the entire wine industry to gain understanding on these issues on a large geographical scale. Such knowledge can offer key information for policy and research to better assist winegrowers in planning adaptation responses to uncertain long-term climate changes.

DOI:

Publication date: March 17, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2020

Type: Video

Authors

Climate change, winegrowers’ perceptions, global wine industry

1ESA, USC 1422 INRA-GRAPPE, Ecole Supérieure d’Agricultures, 55 rue Rabelais, 49007 Angers, France
2INRA, UMR EGFV, ISVV Bordeaux Sciences Agro, 210 Chemin de Leysotte, 33882 Villenave d’Ornon, France
3Department of Wine, Food and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 85084, Lincoln 7647, Christchurch, New Zealand
4CNRS, UMR 6554 LETG, Université Rennes 2, Place du Recteur Henri Le Moal, 35043 Rennes, France

Contact the author

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2020

Citation

Related articles…

Integrative grape to wine metabolite analyses to study the vineyard “memory” of wine

Wine production is a complex multi-step process and the end-product is not easily defined in terms of composition and quality due to the diversity of the raw materials (grapes) and the biological agents (yeast and bacteria) used/present during the fermentation. Furthermore, linking what happens in the vineyard to the wine fermentation and ultimately to characteristics in the wine during ageing

New use of natural silk fiber as a fining agent in wines

Undesirable compounds in wine, like OTA, biogenic amines, and pesticide residues, can negatively affect its quality and pose health risks to consumers. In addition, an excess of tannins can lead to an unpleasant rise in astringency and bitterness, which makes tannins another target of reduction.

Typicality of Rioja wines: identification of sensory profiles for the three subregions of DOCa Rioja

Within the DOCa Rioja three main production areas are differentiated: Rioja Alta (RA), Rioja Alavesa (RAv) and Rioja Oriental (RO). They are three diverse territories with particular characteristics that are claimed to give rise to differentiated profiles. The present work aims at evaluating the sensory diversity of young commercial red wines in these three subregions. Therefore 30 young red wines (mainly Tempranillo and vintage 2021), ten from each subregion, were sensory described following a non-verbal free sorting task and a verbal free comment task by 32 well-established Rioja winemakers.

Geopedological and climatic zoning of northern Malaga vineyards region: Fuente de Piedra, Humilladero and Mollina (southern Spain)

The vineyards placed in the municipal areas of Fuente de Piedra, Humilladero and Mollina constitute a wine-growing important area of the “Zona Norte” of the province of Málaga.

Methodological approach to zoning

An appellation or geographic indication should be based on the terroir concept in order to ensure its integrity. The delimitation of viticultural terroirs must include two consecutive or parallel steps, namely (a) the characterisation of the environment and identification of homogenous environmental units (basic terroir units, natural terroir units) taking all natural factors into account, as well as (b) the characterisation of the viticultural and oenological potential of these units over time.