Climate Change Challenges Napa Wineries

It's not just the heat. it's the early Springs, late freezes, early Fall rains, wildfires, and power outages (as PG&E shuts down the grid to avert fires, even as wineries need power then).

This article makes it clear just how daunting it is to be a winery owner now, especially in a region such as Napa Valley, where wineries are losing fruit, business, and profits to accelerating climate change.

It's a bit easier up herein the PacNW. In most summers it doesn't get too hot, though we are seeing early rains in Fall, which are bad news. We haven't seen many killing late frosts, but we sometimes have late budbreak. Irregular weather presents many challenges. 

But we are an adaptable species. We'll see what happens. Meanwhile, all of us should be doing more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (photo credit: JIBC)

Vineyards Marching North

This article says that French wineries are buying up land in southern England, in preparation for the continuing climate change which would make it difficult to continue growing Bordeaux varieties in SW France and Rhone varieties in SE France. Those climate changes are already noticeable but the point of Bordeaux leaving Bordeaux is surely not very imminent.  But perhaps it's not as far off as one might think.

We see the same threats mentioned as to Napa Valley in California, and I hear more and more about Syrah planted in the Willamette Valley. Another way this is manifested is the planting of grapes higher and higher up the mountains; as the mountain slopes warm and undergo fewer deep freezes in winter, they become more favorable for grapes. There are wonderful grapes being grown in New Mexico's mountains (check out Gruet sparkling wines), so perhaps we can look for quality vineyards in Colorado's mountains someday? Can you imagine Chardonnay being grown here:

And (this sounds impossible to one who has grown Pinot Noir here in NW Oregon, and so often could not get it fully ripe), could it be that someday NW Oregon will produce a great Cabernet? No, surely that cannot be--Cab is one of the sun-hungriest grapes--but who knows? If a trend continues for long enough, strange things will finally happen.