In Harmony with Nature
A love for nature and respect for the vineyard are two intrinsically linked concepts, held together by a bond thousands of years in the making. All nature lovers know and appreciate the high ecological value of the vineyard. We pay particular attention to the phenological calendar of the species that make it their home. We pick up on the small changes that accompany seasonal shifts, especially in relation to the birds. The song of the lark and woodlark fills the vineyards in spring, swallows and swifts swoop above them in summer, wood pigeons and robins arrive with the fall, and lapwings and starlings come through in the winter.
This is why it is important to preserve the rural character of the vineyard, its close and spontaneous relationship with the earth. Obviously, careful human intervention is necessary to ensure a successful crop and reach production goals, but it needs to spring from a deep respect for nature, for this ancient connection between the vine and its natural environment, because—in the words of Bodegas Torres—"the more we care for the earth, the better our wine."
When tasting a wine, few things are as pleasurable as imagining the place where it came from. Perceiving, for example, the influence of a nearby forest, whether it is a riverside forest or a holm-oak wood. Taking note of the fragrance of aromatic herbs growing around the vineyard: rosemary, thyme, lavender. Noting, perhaps, the subtle aroma of moss after autumn rain, the delicate perfume of flowers on a glorious spring morning.
Wine is without a doubt one of nature's finest ambassadors, representing the many forms of life that thrive in the vineyard.
This biodiversity, like all other environments that make up our biosphere, faces the global warming crisis with uncertainty.
The Threat Posed by Climate Change
According to scientists who study climate change, the planet is still getting warmer. Last year registered yet another increase of more than half a degree above average, resulting in one of the hottest years since records began in 1880. The global average temperature has risen almost one degree since then. The reports issued by the United Nation's IPCC, an expert panel made up of more than 2500 international researchers, forces us to confront this truth, no matter how inconvenient it may be. Because global warming is an undeniable fact, it is happening as we speak and is, most likely, irreversible. But we are still in time to avert its most catastrophic consequences.
Climate change is directly related to the rise in greenhouse gas emissions, particularly CO2, which we have caused with our model of development over the past two centuries.
The presence of this gas in the make-up of the earth's atmosphere is essential to maintaining the beneficial greenhouse effect that makes life on earth possible. An increase in the proportion of CO2, however, can heighten this effect in an undesirable way.
In 1880, the concentration of this gas in the atmosphere was about 285 parts per million (ppm). In 1960, it already stood at 315 ppm. According to experts, this year we will reach CO2 levels beyond 400 ppm, which confronts us with a particularly inauspicious future. This is why it is important to act now.
Paleoclimate studies have shown that the planet has undergone other climate changes throughout its history. However, what science is trying to tell us now is this: just like human actions have caused this most recent period of global warming, we can make specific changes to said actions—lowering CO2 emissions, for example—and ease, even significantly mitigate, the negative effects of climate change that threaten to alter the conditions that maintain our biosphere intact.
Sharing Knowledge
So, what about the vine? How can climate change end up affecting the vineyard and winegrowing in our country?
As Vicente Sotés, professor for viticulture at the Madrid Polytechnic, explains, the climate plays the most influential and least controllable role in the winemaking process.
The vineyard, with its deep connection to the rhythm of the seasons and changes in temperature, serves as yet another bioindicator of climate change. To give just one example: over the past 25 years in the Conca de Barberà appellation, the harvest of the Macabeo variety has been brought forward a total of 25 days. In other words: one day per year. We find similar examples in all wine regions, affecting different varieties. Climate change presents the wine industry with a big challenge: how to respond?
This is the main question driving one of the most important research projects in Spanish agriculture in recent years: the Cénit-Demeter project coordinated by professor José Ramón Lissarrague and initiated by Bodegas Torres, which saw the participation of over twenty wine companies and close to one hundred experts.
Carried out between 2008 and 2012, this important research project has allowed us to identify viticultural and winemaking strategies to reduce, mitigate or eliminate the negative impact of climate change on the vineyard and wine. The project revolved around a crucial tool—the sharing of knowledge—and a common goal: to continue making high-quality wines that meet the demands of consumers.
Jose Luis Gallego. Journalist, naturalist and writer.
