A new database developed at the University of Adelaide is mapping out geographic wine trends and predicting the future success of varieties based on globalisation and climate change.
The database is funded by the government’s Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC) and provides an in-depth analysis of the world’s wine varieties and winegrape growing nations that account for 99% of global wine production.
University of Adelaide School of Economics Professor Kym Anderson says the wine industry has wanted a database like this for years.
“In the wake of wine’s globalisation, wine producers need to exploit their geographical and varietal distinctiveness in order to boost their competitiveness,” Professor Anderson explains.
“This database, for the first time, offers transparency across the world’s wine varieties and regions.”
Winegrapes can be temperamental at the best of times, which is why certain regions are renowned for specific varietals and blends.
Pinot noir, for example, grows best in cooler climate regions, like Tasmania or some parts of Victoria and South Australia, as well as New Zealand, the US Napa Valley and many parts of Europe. Cabernet sauvignon, on the other hand, thrives in warmer, sunny regions, which could be one of the reasons it is now the world’s most grown varietals.
Anderson compares this data to the industry 20 years ago, explaining the most widely grown grape then was “Airen, a white winegrape variety from Spain”. But changing consumer demands and climates have seen a shift towards red varieties like cabernet sauvignon.
“In 2000, white winegrapes were more widely grown; however, in the decade to 2010 red winegrapes increased their share of the global vine-bearing area from 49% to 55%,” she says.
“This is consistent with what we know about changes in wine consumption, with numerous countries moving away from white and consumption rising in recent years in China where red wine is preferred.”
Wine and Climate Change
Changes in the world’s climate affect both flora and fauna and can have a huge impact on different industries. Risks specific to the wine industry include more extreme heat, grape rot and changes in soil composition that can completely change the taste of grapes and the wine that is produced from it. Extreme heat, in particular, has become an issue in Australia.
In an interview with the University of Melbourne’s Up Close radio program, Viticulturist Professor Snow Barlow explains the damage that has already been done by an increase in “extreme heat” over the past several years:
“Episodes of extreme heat… can be damaging depending on when they occur. They can be very damaging in the ripening phase and perhaps a little less damaging earlier,” he says.
Professor Barlow goes on to list some of the issues that occur when extreme heat does affect grapes, including dehydration, raisinning (drying out of the grapes) and also “loss of some of the delicate flavours and acidity from the grapes” that can make the winemaking process harder.
Overseas, extreme cold can have a similar impact, with snap changes in weather leading to stunted vines, dehydration and unripe grapes. Soil changes, more or less rain and many other factors can also make a huge difference to the outcomes of wine production.
Simply put, winemakers have to adapt to changes of even half a degree in temperature, or risk having producing sub-standard wine.
The wine industry has not sat idle on the climate change front either: there are international conferences on wine and climate change, academic publications and talks predicting specific changes that growers may need to adapt to, and of course there are funding bodies supporting research and developments like this new database.
“Wine producers are well aware of the impact climate change is having on their winegrapes,” Professor Anderson says.
“They’re continually on the lookout for attractive varieties that perform well in climates similar to what they expect theirs to become in the decades ahead.”
Winemakers can use the data to find the best type of grape/s to grow in their vineyards by looking at temperature trends here and around the world and can even plan for the future using climate change predictions.
Professor Julian Alston, Director of the Robert Mondavi Institute’s Centre for Wine Economics at the University of California is one of the many experts that has praised this Australian publication.
“‘In an increasingly interconnected world wine market, evolving consumer demands, technologies, and climate have all contributed to large shifts in global patterns of production and consumption of wine,” he says.
“In this book, for the first time, we have a detailed empirical picture, country by country and region by region within countries, of which varieties of grapes have been grown where, and how those varietal choices have changed over time.”
While climate change is a hotly debated topic, it is up to individual industries to take note of changes that could affect them. When it comes to the wine industry, this database means producers can have their grapes and drink them too.
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