Climate-resistant grapes? Spanish winemakers revive ancient varieties https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/28/canary-coalmine-spanish-winemakers-climate-threat-grape-varieties?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other #climate #wine
@harphat I see similar efforts made by German vintners too. Some of them start growing Bordeaux varieties now. I guess our famous Riesling will wander up north too 😭
@brudibrau @harphat Climate change has transformed the English wine industry as well. We have a pretty similar climate in the south of England now to the Champagne region of 20-30 years ago, and we're making some superb sparkling wines using traditional Champagne grape varieties
@brudibrau @harphat It's not very long ago that there was no particular reason for anyone to know that the UK had a wine industry. But they have really improved fantastically in the last 20 years or so.
We still don't have the climate to make much in the way of red wine that's worth drinking, but our sparkling wines are every bit as good as Champagne.
@statsguy @brudibrau @harphat The other factor is that over the same period the science of winemaking has matured into methods that produce repeatable high quality results with less reliance on luck. With the interesting effect that a fairly new winery is likely to be better than many established ones, because they're not sticking to old ways. Terrific wines are proliferating all over the world.
@statsguy @brudibrau @harphat
First I realized something was going on was one someone handed me a glass of cabernet, I took a sip and went: wow, I think I've found my perfect everyday red. I looked at the bottle expecting something pricy. It was something you could find for $10 in most supermarkets.
@pieist @brudibrau @harphat Yes indeed. It seems far easier to find very drinkable wines these days than it was a decade or 2 ago.