As one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in the world, wine has certainly enjoyed a rich and illustrious history over the centuries, with its origins dating back thousands of years to 6000 BCE and Mesopotamia (now Iraq and Iran), where the very first vineyards were established and the very first wines produced.
Since then, global wine consumption has gone from strength to strength, with an impressive 232 million hectolitres enjoyed in 2022, led in large part by the US, which outperformed top wine-producing regions like Spain and France, with 34 million hectolitres imbibed that year.
However, the future of the sector is looking a little uncertain these days as climate change continues to make its presence felt – so much so, in fact, that some of the most renowned wine-growing regions run the risk of being eradicated altogether.
A new study published in March by public research institute Inrae, the French department of agriculture and various French universities found that if global warming levels go above two degrees C, 90 per cent of the wine-growing regions in the coastal and plains areas of southern California, Greece, Italy and Spain may struggle to produce the wines they’re famous for in a financially viable way.
As reported by the Independent, wine production is already being affected by erratic rainfall, drought and more frequent and more extreme heat, with harvests now being shifted to warmer parts of the year. This is helping drive the spread of pests and new diseases, as well as affecting the quality of the wine and resulting in an increase in the drink’s alcohol levels.
The researchers concluded: “About 90 per cent of the traditional wine regions situated in the lowlands and coastal regions of Spain, Italy and Greece could be at risk of disappearing by the end of the century.
“Only a minor portion of this loss (less than 20 per cent) can be potentially compensated for by shifting vineyards towards mountainous areas.”
However, it was also suggested that while these more popular regions may struggle in the future, hikes in global temperatures could see other places start to flourish, with new wine regions potentially emerging in places like Denmark, the south of England and the Netherlands.
How can vineyards become more resilient?
As drought becomes an increasingly pressing issue around the world in line with rising global temperatures, water stress and scarcity will continue to take its toll on local communities, with demand for water outstripping supply and putting human health, ecosystems and biodiversity at risk.
Agriculture is the biggest user of water around the world and as resources become increasingly scarce in the future, it stands to reason that wine producers will need to find new ways of working in order to make their businesses more resilient to the impacts of climate change, as well as protecting supplies for future generations.
It takes around 632 litres of water to make a 0.75 litre-bottle of wine and when you take into account the size of the global wine industry, it’s clear to see that the sector’s water footprint is quite significant indeed.
The good news is that there are many water-saving solutions that wine growers can adopt, allowing them to keep their businesses going even as the environment around them changes.
In California, for example, which has been experiencing decades of inadequate rainfall and extended periods of drought, some vine growers are now turning to double drip irrigation to reduce water usage, with this system capable of saving them up to 30 per cent on water through the use of a second drip hose that positions emitters along weak vines.
Elsewhere, research has been ongoing to see how the impacts of global warming could be tackled by enhancing soil water retention to drive vineyard resilience.
Carried out by Washington State University, reported on by Open Access Government, an experiment is being conducted to see how the use of electronic sensors can be used for irrigation scheduling and to see what impact surface drip and subsurface drip have on vine physiological function, yield and quality.
Because water retention capacity varies between different soils, the experiment will be replicated at various sites over the next few years so that site-specific recommendations can be made to different growers.
It will also consider how soil amendments could be used to increase water retention in soils with coarser texture, as well as seeing how different vines respond to these variables over time.
Other potential solutions include making the move to organic natural wine and the principles of regenerative agriculture, where farming practices are adopted that rebuild soil strength and fertility by replicating natural ecosystems.
Regenerative vineyard consultant at Paicines Ranch Kelly Mulville explained to Bon Appetit magazine that rebuilding the soil even just a little bit boosts its ability to hold water by 18,000 gallons per acre. This, in turn, drives down the flood risks and either reduces or eliminates the need for irrigation, saving 10.8 trillion gallons of water annually in California alone.
Furthermore, this soil rebuilt soil would have the capacity to capture 3.5 metric tons of CO2 per acre. If such steps were applied to the 18 million acres of vineyards growing around the world, enough carbon could be potentially sequestered to offset the wine industry supply chain’s fossil fuel emissions.
How can businesses help?
Whether you’re in the wine sector or run a different kind of business altogether, there is always the opportunity to save water and start improving your blue credentials now and well into the future,the benefits of water stewardship for both your business and the natural environment could be substantial.
