ABSTRACT
Sustaining the European Wine Industry in the Face of Climate Change – Maggie Thornsberry
Viticulture is a predominant socioeconomic sector in Europe and the strong sensitivity of grape vines to climate factors warrant the need to address future challenges this industry is expected to run into as temperature rises, droughts persist and extreme events increase in frequency. Terroir is at risk of being undermined which will weaken the value based geographical relationship these varieties have developed in the traditional wine growing regions of old world Europe. This industry will face challenges on multiple fronts, most concernedly in the agricultural stages with new climate variables, but additionally in measuring up to the well-known demand in consumer preferences for unique grape attributes. Viable solutions to sustain the European wine industry in the face of climate change must acknowledge the fact that growers are motivated to maintain their legacy of producing some of the finest wines in the world and consumers are expecting these same standards to be maintained.
OVERVIEW AND BACKGROUND The grape vine is one of the oldest cultivated plants and throughout its history of specialized development and connection through geographical ties, wine has consumed a rich cultural space in the lives of people all around the world but most notably in Europe.1 The European region is specifically the largest producing region of wine in the world due to its favorable climatic niches between the 45°N
1 Fraga, Helder, et al. “Modelling Climate Change Impacts on Viticultural Yield, Phenology and Stress Conditions in Europe.” (Alto Douro, Portugal: Global Change Biology, 2016) Vo: 22, no. 11: 3774–88. https://onlinelibrary. wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/gcb.13382
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JOURNAL of the MARTIN INSTITUTE | INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
