Climate change associated effects on grape and wine quality and production

doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2010.05.001

Food Research International

Volume 43, Issue 7, August 2010, Pages 1844-1855

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2010.05.001 Get rights and content

Abstract

Climate change is exerting an increasingly profound influence on vine phenology and grape composition, and ultimately affects vinifications, wine microbiology and chemistry, and sensory aspects. Among the most important climate change-related effects are advanced harvest times and temperatures, increased grape sugar concentrations that lead to high wine alcohol levels, lower acidities and modification of varietal aroma compounds. Under extremely hot temperatures, which are already being experienced in some regions, vine metabolism may be inhibited leading to reduced metabolite accumulations, which may affect wine aroma and color. Musts with high sugar concentrations cause a stress response in yeast, which leads to increased formation of fermentation co-products, such as acetic acid. If not controlled by acid addition, the higher pH can lead to significant changes in the microbial ecology of musts and wines and increase the risk of spoilage and organoleptic degradation.

Introduction

Over the last few years, occasional popular press articles have reported about the interest of winery owners from the well established Champagne region in purchasing land in more Northern regions, specifically England (Jones, 2004). While there is no indication for the migration of entire winemaking regions into more temperate climates because of climate change, it is undeniable that rising temperatures have already had a significant effect on the grape and wine industry. The tight correlation of vintage quality and annual weather conditions is well established. Not surprisingly, historical grape ripening data spanning back over 500 years has even been used as an indicator in climate research (Chuine et al., 2004). The potential effects of climate change on grape production have been discussed early on (Bindi et al., 1996, Tate, 2001). This review provides a synopsis of the effect of climate change associated variables on grape composition, and critically analyzes their consequences on wine production and quality.

Section snippets

Harvest dates and climate models

As expected for poikilothermic organisms, temperature is widely accepted to affect vine phenology, vegetative cycles and grape quality (Jackson and Lombard, 1993, Winkler et al., 1974). Over the last years, observations from various world winemaking regions have provided evidence of modified vine development and fruit maturation pattern. Dates for budbreak, flowering and fruit maturity are now earlier in various regions.

A widespread observation is that harvest dates have advanced, especially in

Winemaking consequences

Combined with longer hang times aimed at optimizing current perceptions of aromatic grape maturity, climate change has brought about a number of important winemaking challenges derived from grape composition. The main microbiological and technological challenges are higher temperatures of harvested grapes delivered to the winery, higher environmental temperatures during fermentations, higher grape berry sugar and, possibly, potassium concentrations, lower acidity levels and higher pH values.

Summary

Climate change-associated shifts in grape quality will pose significant challenges for vinifications and final wine quality in the future, in particular concerning the expression of varietal grape aromas, microbiological and chemical stability and sensory balance. This review underlines the difficulties encountered in discriminating between the effects of various climate related variables (radiation, temperature, CO₂ concentration). In addition, climate change associated effects need to be

Acknowledgement

The author wishes to acknowledge his gratitude to Dr. Gavin Sacks for critical and helpful comments.

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Climate change associated effects on grape and wine quality and production

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Harvest dates and climate models

Winemaking consequences

Summary

Acknowledgement

European Journal of Agronomy

European Journal of Agronomy

Analytica Chimica Acta

Food Control

FEMS Yeast Research

Food Control

Phytochemistry

Crop Protection

Analytica Chimica Acta

Phenolics and ripening in grape berries

American Journal of Enology and Viticulture

Methoxypyrazine grape flavour: Influence of climate, cultivar and viticulture

Wein Wissenschaft

Brettanomyces bruxellensis occurrence, growth, and effect on wine flavor

Practical Winery and Vineyard

Ethyl carbamate (urethane) in alcoholic beverages and foods: A review

Food Additives and Contaminants

Wine aroma precursors

Inhibition of yeast by lactic acid bacteria in continuous culture: Nutrient depletion and/or acid toxicity?

Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

Influence of sun exposure on the aromatic composition of Chilean Muscat grape cultivars Moscatel de Alejandria and Moscatel rosada

American Journal of Enology and Viticulture

Influence of physiological state of inoculum on volatile acidity production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae during high sugar fermentation

Journal International des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin

Description of alcoholic fermentation kinetics: Its variability and significance

American Journal of Enology and Viticulture

Some factors involved in browning of white wines

American Journal of Enology and Viticulture

Modelling the impact of future climate scenarios on yield and yield variability of grapevine

Climate Research

The effect of elevated CO2 concentration on grapevine growth under field conditions

VAM fungi and soil lime content influence rootstock growth and nutrient content

American Journal of Enology and Viticulture

Stuck and sluggish fermentations

American Journal of Enology and Viticulture

Reactivity of 3-mercaptohexanol in red wine: Impact of oxygen, phenolic fractions, and sulfur dioxide

American Journal of Enology and Viticulture

Factors affecting the presence of ochratoxin A in wines

Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition

A hypothesis for the presence, activity, and role of potassium–hydrogen, adenosine triphosphatases in grapevines

American Journal of Enology and Viticulture

Relationships between total acidity, titratable acidity and pH in wine

American Journal of Enology and Viticulture

The general relationship between potassium, sodium and pH in grape juice and wine

American Journal of Enology and Viticulture

The relationships between total acidity, titratable acidity and pH in grape tissue

Vitis

Principles and practices of winemaking

Effects of temperature on accumulation of starch or lipid in chloroplasts of grapevine

Planta

Effect of temperature on composition of Cabernet Sauvignon berries

American Journal of Enology and Viticulture

Terrestrial ecosystems, increased solar ultraviolet radiation, and interactions with other climate change factors

Photochemical and Photobiological Science

Argentinean cultivars of Vitis vinifera grow better than European ones when cultured in vitro under salinity

Biocell

Cold winter temperatures condition the egg-hatching dynamics of a grape disease vector

Naturwissenschaften

Historical phenology: Grape ripening as a past climate indicator

Nature

Modeling alcoholic fermentation in enological conditions: Feasibility and interest

American Journal of Enology and Viticulture

Influence of temperature on composition and quality of grapes

Numbers and species of lactic acid bacteria in wines during vinification

Food Technology in Australia

When the heat is on, yeast fermentation runs out of puff

Australian and New Zealand Wine Industry Journal

Ability of lactic acid bacteria to produce volatile phenols

American Journal of Enology and Viticulture

The effects of sun exposure on the phenolic content of Cabernet Sauvignon berries during development

American Journal of Enology and Viticulture

Effects of temperature, ammonium and glucose concentrations on yeast growth in a model wine system

The effect of elevated CO₂ concentration on grapevine growth under field conditions