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By mid-century, it could be possible to produce high-quality still wines from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in many areas of England and Wales. This is the result of a study by Alex J. Biss and Richard H. Ellis from the University of Reading published in the journal OenoOne of the International Viticulture and Enology Society (IVES). Up to now, these varieties have been used for sparkling wines; for still wines, it is currently too cool.
The two researchers applied a model for Chablis to Great Britain, taking into account climate change projections until 2059. They used three indices for this: the mean temperature from April to September, the mean minimum temperature in September and the total precipitation from June to September.
According to these, high-quality still Chardonnay should be able to ripen in the east and south-east of England at this time, and the potential increases significantly in central England. By mid-century, over 40 per cent of land in the UK could be suitable for Chardonnay from a climatic perspective. However, the model does not currently take into account extreme events such as frost, hail or fungal attack. The authors therefore recommend planting clones that are suitable for both sparkling and still wines. This would allow more flexibility and resilience, at least in the most suitable areas of England. Strikingly, there were similarities between the model and the conditions favourable to Chardonnay observed in some regions of the UK in 2018.
(al / OenoOne; photo: Wines of Great Britain)