Climate change impacts

Climate change is already affecting wine production in various ways. The impacts include earlier grape harvests, increased water stress on grapes, higher alcohol content, and reduced acidity levels.

Adaptation activity

Between 2012 and 2015, the French National Institute for Agriculture (INRA) collaborated with 23 research institutes, specializing in various fields such as climatology, genetics, ecology, crop cultivation, wine brewing, economics, and sociology, on the LACCAVE ("Long-term Adaptation to Climate Change for Viticulture and Enology”) project. The project involved developing comprehensive studies on the assessment and adaptation of grape and wine production. There were seven working groups in LACCAVE, each focusing on: ①the organization of existing research on climate change and its impacts in wine orchards; ②basic physiological and genetic studies of grapes, and their reaction to climate change; ③technological innovations that contribute to adaptation; ④evaluation of different regional strategies; ⑤consideration of economic strategies; ⑥the creation of information systems that take into account the specificities of various scientific fields; and ⑦developing a proactive response to the adaptation of French vineyards.

Outputs / Expected benefits

Vineyards are implementing adaptive measures based on the assessment of research data such as selecting grape varieties that mature later and have lower sugar content, using yeast to control sugar fermentation, modifying cultivation methods based on climate change simulations, and changing regulations.