DALLAS, Ore. (AP) — From South Africa’s drought-stricken vineyards, to France’s noble chateaus, to sunny vineyards in Australia and California, the wine industry is taking action to protect itself amid rising temperatures and more dramatic weather variations caused by climate change.
Winemakers and growers are moving to cooler zones, growing grapes that do better in the heat and shading their crops with more canopy.
In Oregon , a zone blessed with chilly Pacific Ocean winds has become a go-to place for wineries and vineyards.
The Van Duzer Corridor is on track to become the newest American Viticultural Area. The designation allows wineries to emphasize the unique characteristics of their wine, determined by climate, geography, soil and other factors.
As areas once ideal for certain grapes become less viable, once-iffy sites like the Van Duzer Corridor are coming into their own.
A sign reads from wind to wine at the Keller Estate winery in Petaluma, Calif. From South Africa’s drought-stricken vineyards, to France’s noble chateaus, to sunny vineyards in Australia and California, growers and winemakers say they are seeing the effects of climate change as temperatures rise, with swings in weather patterns becoming more severe. They are moving to cooler zones, planting varieties that do better in the heat, and shading their grapes with more leaf canopy.
Jeff Havlin, owner of Havlin Vineyard, drives through one of his vineyards in Dallas, Ore. Havlin is behind a move to have the Van Duzer Corridor, which brings Pacific Ocean breezes into this section of the Willamette Valley, declared as America’s newest American Viticulture Area as grape growers and winemakers in Oregon, and other parts of the world, are looking to protect their businesses from increasing global warming.
Workers trim leaves in a Pinot Noir vineyard at the Keller Estate winery in Petaluma, Calif. From South Africa’s drought-stricken vineyards, to France’s noble chateaus, to sunny vineyards in Australia and California, growers and winemakers say they are seeing the effects of climate change as temperatures rise, with swings in weather patterns becoming more severe. They are moving to cooler zones, planting varieties that do better in the heat, and shading their grapes with more leaf canopy.
Customers enjoy wines and views at Willamette Valley Vineyards in Turner, Ore. The winery began growing grapes in the cooler Eola-Amity Hills, northwest of Salem, in 2007. It is also grafting different root stocks onto vines to produce pinot noir and chardonnay clones that perform better in longer, hotter growing seasons and that go deeper into the soil, making them more drought-resistant.
Director of ranch operations Ria D’Aversa looks over Sagrantino grape vines at the McEvoy Ranch in Petaluma, Calif. The ranch is located in Northern California’s Petaluma Gap which is one of America’s newest viticultural areas. “Even though we have those heat waves just like Napa and Sonoma, we still have the cool breeze in the afternoon and the cooler temperatures at night and the fog in the morning,” said D’Aversa.
Workers trim leaves on Pinot Noir vines in the Azaya vineyard of the McEvoy Ranch in Petaluma, Calif. From South Africa’s drought-stricken vineyards, to France’s noble chateaus, to sunny vineyards in Australia and California, growers and winemakers say they are seeing the effects of climate change as temperatures rise, with swings in weather patterns becoming more severe. They are moving to cooler zones, planting varieties that do better in the heat, and shading their grapes with more leaf canopy.
A cellar worker takes barrels into a cave at the Keller Estate winery in Petaluma, Calif. The world’s wine industry is taking action to protect itself amid rising temperatures and more dramatic weather variations caused by global warming. The winery is located in Northern California’s Petaluma Gap which is one of America’s newest viticultural areas.
A glass and bottle of McEvoy Ranch Il Poggio Montepulciano wine stand on a tasting room counter at the winery in Petaluma, Calif. The ranch is located in Northern California’s Petaluma Gap which is one of America’s newest viticultural areas. The area’s slogan: “From wind to wine.”
The Failla Oregon winery is shown near Salem, Ore. From South Africa’s drought-stricken vineyards, to France’s noble chateaus, to sunny vineyards in Australia and California, the wine industry is taking action to protect their livelihoods amid rising temperatures and more dramatic weather variations. The Failla winery, based in the Napa Valley, recently bought 80 acres (32 hectares) in the Van Duzer Corridor and opened a winery nearby in Oregon.
Greg Jones, one of the world’s authorities on climate change and wines, looks over a map of the Willamette Valley viticultural area in his office at Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore. Jones will be there this summer as a keynote speaker at the VitiNord wine conference, which will examine cooler-climate wine production. “If you’re growing grapes in a given environment today with what we have going on out there, you should be trying other varieties in small numbers to see how they perform,” Jones said.
Baboon’s run past a vineyard on the Constantia Uitsig wine estate in Cape Town, South Africa. From South Africa’s drought-stricken vineyards, to France’s noble chateaus, to sunny vineyards in Australia and California, growers and winemakers say they are seeing the effects of climate change as temperatures rise, with swings in weather patterns becoming more severe. So they’re taking action, moving to cooler zones, planting varieties that do better in the heat, and shading their grapes with more leaf canopy.
A bottle of Runner Duck wine, that is produced on the Vergenoegd wine estate on the outskirts of Stellenbosch, South Africa. From South Africa’s drought-stricken vineyards, to France’s noble chateaus, to sunny vineyards in Australia and California, growers and winemakers say they are seeing the effects of climate change as temperatures rise, with swings in weather patterns becoming more severe. So they are moving to cooler zones, planting varieties that do better in the heat, and shading their grapes with more leaf canopy.
Leave a Reply