Adapting to Climate Change
Vitis vinifera is an extremely sensitive plant when it comes to changes in temperature. Over the past 40 years, we have seen temperatures increase by one degree in the Penedès so that now the harvest takes place approximately ten days earlier than two decades ago.
Similarly, in the Conca de Barberà appellation, the harvest of the Macabeo variety has been pushed forward 25 days over the past 25 years.
These are only two examples of how a one-degree temperature increase over the past 40 years has been enough to confront agriculture in general and winegrowing in particular with a new set of circumstances.
Predictions for the 21st century paint a bleak picture: experts estimate that temperatures will go up 4 to 5 degrees by 2100. Predictions for Spain, particularly the Mediterranean sphere, are even worse. In addition to rising temperatures, the area is predicted to suffer a sharp decline in rainfall, which is particularly detrimental in a country with an inherent water shortage.
THE POINT OF NO RETURN...
The consequences of climate change represent the greatest challenge that modern winegrowing has had to face since the devastating phylloxera plague almost wiped out the grapevine in Europe at the end of the 19th century.
Much like in the 19th century, we have reached a point of no return that will change the world of winegrowing, as we know it. In fact, we believe that the entire map of European wine appellations will change completely.
The phylloxera plague brought about a revolution in wine culture. In addition to the devastating effect on European varieties, on the very physiology of the plant, as well as the methods of planting and cultivation, the plague had tremendous economic consequences that shaped a new winegrowing industry: facing financial ruin, farmers and winegrowers were forced to abandon their fields in high-elevation areas in favor of more fertile lowlands where they could grow more productive varieties in an on-going effort to obtain higher yields. The result was a new “emergency viticulture” that decimated the quality of the old, pre-phylloxera vineyards.
The very same plague, however, also brought about a technological and scientific revolution in winegrowing and winemaking. It was a case of necessity honing ingenuity, which saw the advent of new cultivation techniques(1) designed to counter the phylloxera threat. We knew how to adapt. And, for better or worse, nothing would ever be the same again.
(1)Rootstock: It was quickly discovered that American vines were resistant to the plague. This meant that by grafting the desired vine plant on to an American rootstock, the vine would be protected against infection. This technique is still used today.
We will not speculate on what might happen over the next century, nor do we intend for this article to be an erudite scientific study outlining any kind of dogma. What we wish to do is show as accurately and clearly as possible what is already happening on the ground and how climate change is affecting the grapevine.
THE CAUSES
How did we end up here?
Some of the causes are natural—capricious, sporadic episodes that can occasionally lead to changes in climate. Others, however, are man-made and directly linked to our actions, such as the over-exploitation of fossil fuels, which cloak us in an aura of responsibility. CO2 emissions have increased exponentially over the past 40 years. Irrefutable proof of this can be found in the fact that changes in CO2 levels, deforestation and temperature follow the same pattern.
THE GRAPEVINE AND OUR CURRENT CLIMATE: THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
The rise in temperature affects the phenolics of the grapevine and the ripening process in particular. Varieties like Garnacha, which used to reach optimal ripeness in late September, already display inordinately high sugar levels by late August, the equivalent of an alcohol content of 14–15 ABV.
How do these changes affect the wine?
Whereas the grape berries reach high sugar levels much earlier, the skins and seeds ripen at a slower pace. As a result, the wines lack balance and are significantly higher in alcohol, but the tannins are still green, not quite ripe, which has a decisive impact on the quality of the wine.
High temperatures also raise the pH of the grapes, thus lowering the acidity. This means the wines age faster, which presents problems in terms of preservation.
In short:
· An increase in alcohol content
· Lower acidity, fragile wines
· Accelerated aging
Does this mean that today's wines are lower in quality than those made 40 years ago? No. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Although corrective measures in the winery are becoming increasingly necessary, scientific and technological advances in viticulture and enology ensure an end product of exceptional quality unlike anything we have ever known.
FROM REACTION TO PREVENTION
What is the solution in light of these changes? One key factor, among other things, is the need for more investment in RDI, which wineries should see and accept as an inherent component of their production model. This is an inevitable investment, crucial to adapting to the new climate reality.
Furthermore, ethical, environmentally friendly land management is no longer optional. Not only does it determine yields and productivity, but the very survival of the industry as we know it depends on this.
Nowadays, a lot of wineries are taking action to adapt to the new rules of the game, although it must be said that some do so with greater conviction than others. At this stage—in the words of Marimar Torres—sustainable viticulture comes down to “an act of faith.”
This is not a time for short-term goals. The new viticultural model only allows for a long view in which science, immense amounts of work and patience must nourish something that, in the absence of immediate results, often seems akin to a new kind of philosophy.
ADAPTATION MEASURES
“We have to adapt our viticulture to the new climatic circumstances, moving vineyards northward, seeking higher elevations and cooler temperatures,” explains Miguel A. Torres. He goes on to add, “This is what we at Torres have been doing in Catalonia for the last 20 years. We bought land in the foothills of the Pyrenees, for example, at elevations of 1200 meters. At the moment, growing grapes there is impossible, but we are convinced that in the future this setting will provide an immense opportunity for certain varieties.
We could also replace certain varieties with others. In some areas, we could grow Monastrell instead of Tempranillo or Tempranillo instead of Pinot Noir or even plant old, revived varieties.
In the experiments we have been conducting over the last 30 years to bring back forgotten pre-phylloxera Catalan varieties, we have seen that some are more resistant to drought and high temperatures in addition to having enormous enological potential.”
“The more we care for the earth, the better our wine”
This is the principle that guides all of the actions Bodegas Torres carries out as part of the Torres & Earth program. The program is a continuation of a series of projects we began more than 20 years ago, which strive to build a sustainable production model through responsibly managing our energy consumption and water resources, along with protecting our natural environment and its biodiversity.
Wineries for Climate Protection
We are not alone in this fight. Torres belongs to a group of wineries that have joined forces to standardize and agree on preventive policies in response to how climate change is affecting the grapevine. Initiated in 2011 by the Spanish wine and grape industry, WFCP is a movement focused on protecting the climate and the vineyard through sustainable development that does not jeopardize the resources and conditions necessary for human life.
The initiative became a reality in June 2011 with the “Barcelona Declaration,” a set of ten commitments that each signatory winery agrees to uphold voluntarily. The declaration urges the Spanish Wine Federation and the International Vine and Wine Organization to establish a protocol of actions that wineries need to implement, as well as developing the appropriate supervisory systems to ensure that the commitments are being upheld.
http://www.wineriesforclimateprotection.com/
RETURNING TO OUR ROOTS OR SQUARING THE CIRCLE
After the outbreak of phylloxera, winegrowers had to adapt to a new reality and abandon the highlands for more fertile land. Now the consequences of climate change are forcing modern-day winegrowers to embark in the opposite direction, albeit with the same goal: adaptation.
It marks a return to a fair and balanced form of viticulture in which humans coexist in harmony with the earth, where modern, technological advances make it possible for us to work our vineyards with a promising future in sight. This is a crucial, urgent discussion. Initiating it is our duty, both to the earth and those who will work the land after us.
Useful sources and links:
http://www.wineriesforclimateprotection.com/
http://www.oiv.int/oiv/cms/index?lang=es
Wine and Climate: An Endangered Relationship: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6oAFYc73T4
Diccionario Salvat del Vino, Mauricio Wiesenthal. Published by Salvat