Arnica Rowan examines ways of producing lighter wines when global warming suggests otherwise.
Across the planet, consumer preferences are swinging to less concentrated, lower-alcohol beverages. Meanwhile, the global wine industry is facing increasing temperatures, resulting in grapes with higher sugar content at phenolic ripeness, and producing super-concentrated, higher-alcohol wines. Australian red wine’s average alcohol has risen by 2% since the 1980s, to 14.4% today (see this report). Global warming is the Achilles heel of the wine industry.
While wine industry advocates are wringing their hands, wondering in North America how they are going to compete with the runaway success...