Global climate change and wine safety

Abstract

Climate change presents risks and opportunities for the wine industry. Little has been written about possible impacts on wine safety. This chapter draws on the latest scientific consensus regarding climate change to examine how changing production environments could be realised in the vineyard and winery. The impacts of climate change are likely to vary between viticultural regions, so this chapter looks at a range of conditions: temperature, precipitation, humidity, variability and extreme weather events which could impact viticulture and wine to differing degrees in different locations. It identifies wine safety risks resulting from climatic conditions directly, and indirect risks from practices employed to manage climatic conditions and weather events. Whilst climatic trends and changes to average conditions can often be managed in the vineyard, the frequency and nature of extreme events may prevent appropriate management strategies being implemented. In the winery a combination of oenological capability and due diligence is required to ensure product quality and safety. These will function best when supported by appropriate legal or regulatory control.