You will also be interested
Not only will global warming allow the United Kingdom to explore the harvest of new varieties of grapes, but, in addition, the kingdom will benefit from much more favorable conditions for the production of more qualitative wines. What was fiction yesterday is now confirmed by scientific research. Flashback. We are in May 2017. The debate of the moment that has the small world of Champagne puts a great French name at the center of the discussions: Taittinger. Visionary, the Reims house is starting to operate a brand new 70-hectare estate where, before its arrival, no grapes were harvested. grapebut apples, pears and plums. Welcome to Kent, south east of London. It is here, in England, that Taittinger decided to experiment with the art of sparkling wine, under the banner of Domaine Evremond, using Pinot Noir and of chardonnay harvested on the lands of the kingdom of Her Majesty Elizabeth.
New climatic conditions favorable to viticulture in the United Kingdom
What was an experiment yesterday will become an economic reality tomorrow. Because the United Kingdom will indeed become a major wine region, under the effect of global warming. A large team of English researchers fromUniversity of East Anglia (EAU), of the London School of Economicsof Vinescapes Ltd and Weatherquest Ltd, analyzed the country’s potential as a future wine producer for the next twenty years. The future looks bright for those who bet on English lands. By 2040, the mercury should rise by 1.4°C at the time of flowering of the vine in England and the Country of Wales. A scenario that should lead to the expansion of the cultivation of pinot noir, already used today to produce the few ” sparkling » English, to now launch the fermentation of red wines.
Above all, the new climatic conditions will make it possible to plant other grape varieties such as riesling or sauvignon blanc and semillon. We can already imagine certain preachers rubbing their hands; these last two varieties being used to produce great sweet wines, like Sauternes and its cult star, Château Yquem, of which bottles can sell for several hundred (or even thousands) of euros depending on the vintage.
In the future, the climatic conditions should resemble what we know today in Champagne, Burgundy and the Baden region of Germany. British scientists even consider that a vintage as qualitative as 2018 would no longer be an exception.
The change is already underway. Between 2004 and 2021, British viticulture expanded over 3,800 hectares, exploding by 400%. Nevertheless, everything is not yet completely won when you know how much you also have to know how to deal with the anger of the Earth – the French winegrowers are unfortunately the perfect witnesses. The weather conditions are expected to continue to vary from year to year, the researchers warn. And the risk of episodes of freeze coming to destroy the beginning of flowering could not be ruled out. English viticulture will learn that the profession of winegrower is also made up of setbacks…
Interested in what you just read?