Is wine in trouble?

On Monday, I had the opportunity to attend the side event, "Bordeaux 2050: The Real Taste of Global Warming". The title not only caught my attention, but raised significant concern for me as an Italian-American who enjoys her wine. The only people I have ever met that have a greater passion for wine than Italians are the French. In this session, it was stated that the average French male consumes 42 liters of wine in a year. Knowing this, a wine producer and the French Association of Journalists for the Environment partnered on this project to have the impacts of climate change felt on a personal level. This event explained their project as an initiative to showcase the negative potential of climate change by creating a wine that exemplifies the reality of a warming world.

Of all the French wines, the most renowned and adored comes from the region of Bordeaux.  These red blends are a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Recently, vineyards in the region have been hit hard by extreme weather conditions. Spring comes earlier, bringing warmer temperatures. The vines awake from their dormant, winter state and begin to grow. However, early spring conditions are interrupted by intermittent frost, which can have detrimental effects on the harvest. It was stated that 40% of the harvest last year was lost due to frost. Additionally, periods of intense rainfalls have made the vines more vulnerable to mildew, which also causes grapes to be lost. The current conditions in Bordeaux are less than ideal for growing grapes. Models of future weather patterns due to climate change show that future conditions in the region will only continue to worsen. It is even predicted that favorable ares for growing wine today will be completely different from those in 2050 (see below). For wine producers, the only thing that remains certain is that grapes being planted now will be used to make wine for 2050.

Obtained from https://unfccc-cop24.streamworld.de/webcast/the-future-of-wine-bordeaux-2050

This fact led project leaders to try to simulate Bordeaux wine in 2050. They did this by taking grapes from various parts of the world that are already experiencing the effects of climate change and making wine. They called the final product "Bordeaux 2050".  They then surveyed thousands of people across the nation to get opinions on the final product. The general consensus: it's not a Bordeaux! Tasters felt that it lacked the dimension of flavor and aroma true to a Bordeaux today. It was bitter, drier, and more acidic than the wine they were used to. I had the chance to try the wine. I agreed that it was bitter and acidic, and lacked the complexity of a bold red wine. While I am not a Bordeaux connoisseur, I can say that I would not waste the money on a bottle of Bordeaux 2050.

However, the biggest takeaway from this event was not intended to be the taste of the wine. It was intended to raise concern for climate change by creating a disappointing model of a popular product that would get people's attention. While it is a shame that scientists must go to this extent to convey the severity of the fate of our planet, this is a great example of how scientists can make climate issues more personal to people around the world. I can only imagine how this project could be modified to impact more people. For example, imagine how much people in the United States would care about climate change if they thought the quality of their beer or burgers would be compromised!

 To view the entire presentation from the conference, click on the following link: https://unfccc-cop24.streamworld.de/webcast/the-future-of-wine-bordeaux-2050

Also, check out this link for the Bordeaux 2050 video summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n2xP37UPLU