The impact of global warming on Ontario’s icewine industry

Abstract

Ontario’s wine regions lie at the climatic margins of commercial viticulture owing to their cold winters and short cool growing season. The gradual warming of northern latitudes projected under a human-induced climate change scenario could bring mixed benefits to these wine regions. On the one hand, climate change could moderate the severity of winter temperatures and extend the growing season and on the other, it could be jeopardize the production of internationally renowned icewines for which Canada is famous. This paper examines the trends in winter temperatures over the last forty years for the Niagara Peninsula wine region in Ontario. The study analyzes the occurrences of temperatures ≤ -8o C in the months of November, December, January and February in which the frozen grapes are normally picked. The results of trend analysis showed a high degree of variability along with a weak declining trend in the number of picking days. Two major risks to icewine grapes are prolonged warm and wet conditions that could lead to rot and secondly, destruction of the crop by bird predators. The study also discussed the potential use of weather contracts to mitigate these risks.

DOI:

Publication date: November 22, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2010

Type: Article

Authors

D. Cyr (1) and T.B. Shaw (2)

(1) Department of Finance, Operations and Information Systems & Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute, Brock University, St. Catharines Ontario, Canada, L2S 3A1
(2) Department of Geography & Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute, Brock University, St. Catharines Ontario, Canada, L2S 3A1

Contact the author

Keywords

climate change, Ontario, icewine, impacts, weather contracts

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2010

Citation

Related articles…

Yeasts protein extracts: new low impact tool for wine protein stability

Yeast protein extracts (ypes) have flocculating properties, allowing clarification of musts and wines. They are already authorized by oiv for fining purposes with a maximum dosage limit of 60 g/hl for red wines, and 30 g/hl for musts, white and rosè wines. The extraction of ypes from the cytoplasm of yeasts (saccharomyces spp) cells is defined by the resolution oiv oeno 452-2012, that indicate also some specification of the final product.

Effects of future climate change on grape quality: a case study for the Aglianico grape in Campania region, Italy

Water deficits limit yields and this is one of the negative aspects of climate change. However, this applies particularly when emphasis is on biomass production (e.g. for crops like maize, wheat, etc.)

Use of a recombinant protein (Harpin αβ) as a tool to improve phenolic composition in wines

Climate change is modifying environmental conditions in all wine-growing areas of the
world.

Extension to the Saumurois-Touraine area of an Anjou-originated method for the characterisation of the viticultural terroirs. (Loire Valley, France)

En Anjou, une méthode de caractérisation des terroirs viticoles a été développée. Elle utilise un modèle de terrain basé sur la profondeur de sol et son degré d’argilisation. Le modèle concerne des terrains issus principalement de roches mères métamorphiques et éruptives du Massif Armoricain. Cet outil de caractérisation des terroirs viticoles nécessite d’être adapté lorsqu’il s’agit d’ensembles géologiques très différents, en particulier sur sols d’apport et de roches mères tendres et poreuses du Bassin Parisien. Une meilleure compréhension de la réserve hydrique des sols apparaît être un critère important de l’interaction entre le milieu et la plante.

Fingerprinting as approach to unlock black box of taste

The black box of taste is getting unlocked. The starting point is to distinguish taste from tasting. Consider taste as a product characteristic; tasting is a sensorial activity. Consequently, taste can be studied on a molecular level and therefore be assessed more objectively, whilst tasting is a human activity and by definition subjective.