Is climate change improving European wine?

Published 2024년 12월 26일

Tridge summary

The 2024 European harvest is facing significant challenges due to extreme climate conditions, including persistent rainfall, cool temperatures, and increased disease pressure, leading to low yields but surprisingly high acidity levels in the grapes. This pattern has resulted in a vintage that is particularly suited for fresh, balanced wines with lower alcohol content, mirroring the trends of the 1980s and 1990s. Some regions, such as the Loire Valley, Tuscany, and Bolgheri, have experienced significant difficulties in grape ripening, while others, like Rioja and Ribera del Duero, have seen more moderate conditions that allow for a better balance between sugars and acidity. The overall shift towards more challenging climatic conditions is forcing producers to adapt their strategies and embrace the return of acidity in their wines, highlighting the need for precision in viticulture and oenology to produce high-quality wines. The 2024 vintage underscores the complex interplay between climate change and wine quality, showcasing the resilience of the wine industry and the potential for creating wines that are fresher and more balanced, even in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The 2024 harvest in Europe has become a reflection of the climate change that contemporary viticulture is particularly suffering from, with extreme conditions testing the resilience of vineyards and the ability of producers to adapt. This year, marked by persistent rains, unusually cool temperatures and high disease pressure, has produced a vintage of contrasts, with low yields but with the recovery of a quality highly valued in the sector: acidity. The European spring of 2024 began with frequent rainfall across much of the continent, which generated high levels of humidity in the vineyards. This excess humidity favoured the spread of fungal diseases such as mildew, one of the main threats to grape health. In regions such as the Loire Valley, these conditions severely affected vineyards, especially in areas such as Menetou-Salon and Pouilly-Fumé, where yields reached historically low levels. The difficulties extended into the summer, with weather that oscillated between ...

Source: Agromeat