It has often been argued that global climate change is affecting the less fortunate more than the wealthy. Having money can insulate people from such problems as rising food prices and flooding in coastal areas. Apart from that, much wealth is generated by industries that contribute to global warming as opposed to combating it.
That being said, one effect of climate change that is attracting the attention of even the super rich is its impact on wine grapes. Rising temperatures in areas like France, Italy and Spain are affecting the flavor of certain wines.
What is happening is that certain grape varieties such as pinot noir are growing more quickly than before. As a result, the desired ratio of acid to sugar occurs earlier in the season and it is much more difficult to determine the optimal time to pick the grapes. This in turn results in variations from the wines’ signature tastes. The unique flavors that wine fanciers prize are becoming harder to achieve. A number of vineyards in California and southern Europe are actually dropping pinot noir for other varieties of grape that are more tolerant to higher temperatures.
All of this may seem like a pretty superficial concern, but the value of the global wine business is estimated at close to $200 billion. Wine has come to epitomize “the good life” and global warming is becoming a threat to even this aspect of human life. Perhaps this may serve as a wake-up call to those who have continued to prefer to benefit from the status quo.
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Climate Change is Impacting the Flavor and Quality of Wine
Photo, posted October 7, 2005, courtesy of Andrew Fogg via Flickr.
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Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.