Global Warming
Written By: Anonymous on Fri, Aug 24th 2007
The issue of global warming may be an academic one for the pundits and politicians in Washington, pontificating and preening in their air-conditioned studios and offices. But for wine lovers, it’s starting to hit a bit closer to home, and its importance and effects are being felt more directly than ever before.
The geography of the wine-producing world is shifting right underneath our feet—literally. Regions that were once perfect for cool-weather grape varieties are warming up to the point that the wines coming from them are noticeably different from their traditional manifestations. And regions that were once too cool for the production of any sort of decent wine are starting to make headway into the world of fine grapes and wine.
Arguing about whether this is a good thing or not is beside the point, because no matter how you look at it, the warming trend is forcing wine lovers to change their mindsets and strategies when it comes to seeking out and purchasing their precious bottles.
The most important thing is that you understand your own wine preferences: By doing so, you’ll be able to more appropriately focus on the regions whose wines are likely to be most appealing to you these days. If, for example, you’re a fan of warm-weather wines, then you may want to focus on the parts of the wine world that produce wines from grapes that will flourish in all this heat. The Southern Rhone Valley, for example, is a great place to start: The grenache and syrah that make up the majority of the best blends there thrive in the heat. So the warmer weather we’ve been experiencing should actually help to make those wines even more appealing to you than they perhaps have been in the past.
If, however, the big, bold flavors and textures of hot-weather wine are not for you, then you may want to seek out specific producers whose styles are more in line with what you enjoy. After all, wine is not just a product of what nature provides the vines with, but also, to a great extent, of human intervention. And there are many producers who can still, within certain limits, craft a wine of elegance and subtlety even in the warmest years that would seem to be more conducive to higher-octane bottlings.
Of course, a winemaker cannot overcome the demands of nature. But the best of them can bend it a bit to more accurately fit their vision for the juice that ultimately ends up in the bottle.
No matter what your political views are on the issue of global warming, it is becoming ever more difficult to ignore it in terms of how it impacts the wine in the glass before you. And the more you understand the geography of both the wine world and your palate, the better prepared you’ll be to make the most of it.
