Climate Change Has Created a Crisis for Bordeaux Winemakers

Hot summers are forcing the grape-growers of Bordeaux to adjust their practices.

Pauillac wine region France, Vines and vineyards in Pauillac a wine producing area of the Bordeaux region France. (Photo by: Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)
Pauillac wine region France, Vines and vineyards in Pauillac a wine producing area of the Bordeaux region France. (Photo by: Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)
UIG via Getty Images

Bordeaux is getting hotter, which could mean trouble for its world-famous wines. According to a new story in The Atlantic, Climate change has had a particularly noticeable impact on the southwestern region’s weather, as the temperature has risen 3.6 degrees Farenheit since 1950.

The problem for the region’s grape-growers with increasingly hot summers is that warmer temperatures produce fruitier wines with less acidity and a higher alcohol content – all characteristics from which a traditional Bordeaux strays.

Bordeaux wines are a $2 billion industry, producing more than 700 million bottles some years, according to The Atlantic. Winemakers across the world are struggling to adjust old practices as climate change intensifies. Many scientists are predicting that growers will have to focus on heat-hardy grapes to survive the summers of the future.

The InsideHook Newsletter.

News, advice and insights for the most interesting person in the room.