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Viticulture in the UK is benefiting from the warming climate. This is shown by a study on the climate resilience of British wine published in the specialist journal OenoOne of the International Viticulture and Enology Society (IVES). According to the study, average growing season temperatures in the most important wine regions in England and South Wales increased by around 1°C between 1981 and 2018. A further increase of 0.4°C is expected by 2040, which would mean conditions similar to those in Champagne, Burgundy and Baden. This would open up new possibilities for grape varieties and wine styles.
Strong weather fluctuations during the growing season will remain a feature of the viticultural climate, and the risk of spring frost is likely to increase. In return, precipitation is expected to decrease, which is not seen as negative. The study predicts that more than half of the years will have conditions like during the growing season of the excellent 2018 vintage, which also means potentially higher yields.
According to study author Alistair Nesbitt, this opens up prospects for new grape varieties and wine styles: "The area where Pinot Noir is suitable for sparkling wine production will increase. But it will also open up new areas for the production of still Pinot Noir and for the cultivation of varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Semillon and Piwi varieties, which are currently rarely grown in the UK.".
He and his colleagues highlight the need for UK wineries to be flexible in the rapidly changing climate to adapt to the challenges.
(al / Source: OenoOne, decanter.com; Photo: Wines of Great Britain)
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