Whether it’s a Pinot Noir from Burgundy or a Rosado from Rioja, Europe is home to some of the most popular wines in the world.
But these delicious varieties could soon change forever – thanks to climate change.
Experts have warned that wine grapes in France, Spain and Italy have seen the most significant increases in high temperatures during the growing season.
And the result could mean wines become sweeter, more intense and even more alcoholic.
The team, from the University of British Columbia, studied the phenology of wine grapes.
This refers to how the different stages of growth and reproduction are affected by the environment over the course of a year.
They used data from more than 500 grapevine varieties from around the world and looked at 10 different measures of climate.
This included the lowest temperatures during dormancy and when buds emerge, heat extremes during the growing season, and temperature and rainfall during harvest.
This Pinot Noir from France, and Rosado from Spain, could be affected by climate change, according to the study
Vines growing in Europe have experienced the greatest increases in heat, including in the Côtes du Rhône region (one vine from there shown here)
Locations of winegrowing regions included in the analysis. Those in Europe were found to experience the highest temperatures during the growing season
Analysis revealed that Europe has experienced the greatest shift since the 1970s, with the most significant increases in the number of hot days over 35°C (95°F) and the highest temperatures during the growing season.
Some of the most popular wines currently grown in Europe include Pinot Noir and Sancerre from France, Rioja from Spain and Brunello di Montalcino in Italy.
Pinot Blanc is a white wine grape that is also widely grown across Europe, particularly in France, Italy, Germany and Austria.
Studies have shown that warmer temperatures are shifting the regions suitable for winegrowing toward the poles.
Meanwhile traditional regions are yielding grapes that ripen faster and have higher sugar levels, which alters the taste of wine.
This could make wine taste sweeter and have a higher alcohol content, as sugar is converted to alcohol during the fermentation process.
The acidity of wine also declines in warmer climates, which means the wine could taste less fresh and have less ‘zest’.
Meanwhile pigments in wine called anthocyanins – which are responsible for the red and purple colours – break down under heat.
Healthy wine grapes (left) should be plump, firm and green or yellow. However, high heat and sun exposure can damage them (right)
Another popular European wine is the Brunello di Montalcino from Italy, which is described as having a rich, full-bodied character and complex flavours, with notes of blackberry and black cherry
Tannins, which are important for how wine feels in the mouth, may not develop enough if grapes are harvested early to curb rising sugar levels.
Writing in the journal Plos Climate the researchers said: ‘Metrics of heat extremes for regions in Western/Southern Europe and in Eastern Europe showed by far the largest increases and suggest a new world of European winegrowing that has few parallels to European winegrowing of 40-50 years before.
‘Europe’s northern latitudinal location positions it for more extreme warming overall as northern latitudes warm the most.
‘Our analyses highlight that Europe has experienced the most severe shift in summer heat – with days above 35°C and maximum temperatures most years now far outside of what was experienced before significant warming.
‘Impacts of this new, hotter climate include lower grape yields, heat damage to berries and vegetation, and an industry that is rapidly working to adapt.’
Lead author Elizabeth Wolkovich said: ‘I was very surprised by the level of warming across the globe, but especially in Europe, where our results show clearly just how much the growing season has warmed with human-caused climate change.
‘As someone who has visited Europe for over 15 years, I have witnessed the increasing heat waves, but seeing the data — and how much change growers are facing — was sobering and even higher than I expected.’
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