Win production in the U.K. may actually benefit from climate change, according to a new study. While it may be possible to turn the island nation into a wine-producing region as temperatures warm and the climate changes throughout the globe, researchers have now shown that this area may experience some weather shocks.
There has been a boom when it comes to English wine production over the last 10 years. In fact, the amount of land that's used to grow grapes and for wine production has increased by 148 percent during this time period. This is huge when looking at the history of wine production in the area.
With that said, it's not only the scale or production that's grown. The quality of the wine is also improving. Producers are receiving global recognition for premium quality wines, especially English Sparkling Wine.
In this latest study, researchers from the University of East Anglia decided to look at exactly what may be causing this massive upswing in wine production in this region. They looked at the U.K.'s main grape-growing regions. More specifically, they looked at the relationship between temperature, rainfall, extreme weather events and yield. The scientists also talked to wine producers to find out their views on the role of climate change in the success of English wine.
"The UK has been warming faster than the global average since 1960 and eight of the warmest years in the last century have occurred since 2002," said Alistair Nesbitt, lead researcher of the study. "Producers recognized the contribution of climate change to the sector's recent growth, but also expressed concerns about threats posed by changing conditions. We wanted to see whether potential future climate change may make wine-making more viable in the UK by first analyzing sensitivity to past climate variability."
So what did they find? While average temperatures over the growing season are usually above a key minimum threshold for "cool climate" viticulture, wine yields vary considerably. This is largely due to weather variations and extreme events that impact productivity from year to year.
"While rising temperatures are important, the impact of short term weather events such as cold snaps, sharp frosts, and downpours will continue to threaten productivity," Nesbitt said.
The findings reveal that climate is impacting this industry. However, it also shows that extreme weather events that come along with this change may still cause wine making to be a risky venture.
The findings are published in the April 2016 Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research.
