PARIS, July 21 — Enduring difficult and exhausting working conditions, the persistence of the winegrowers who cultivate grapes on hillsides or at altitude pays off when you taste the results, often marked by a long finish and memorable character. Unfortunately, the conditions that have long been an asset to these wines are now under threat from global warming.
What do Prosecco, Vin Jaune du Jura, Iruléguy, Champagne and Port wine have in common? They’re all made from grape varieties grown at altitude. And while the height of the hills or mountains is totally different from one region to another, the elevated location of these vineyards jeopardizes their very existence.
This mountainside environment is claimed to be one of the secrets behind the quality of these wines. On steep slopes, far from the arable land of the plains, vines have to be tough to survive. And that’s what gives them their strength, which is reflected in the grapes. Mountain wines are often long on the palate. Their character is generally the fortuitous consequence of atypical, well-drained land with thin and eroded soils, marked by extreme climatic conditions that make it impossible to mechanize the work in the vineyards. In addition, sunshine is optimal, and the grapes thrive between the warm days and cool nights, helping them to ripen.
Unfortunately, if these conditions have contributed to the quality of such wines, these wine-growing areas are now paying the price in the face of climate disruption. In a study published on a scientific platform, iScience, researchers from the University of Padua in Italy point to two reasons for fearing the disappearance of such vineyards. The first is that “the increased frequency of weather extremes driven by climate change accelerates soil degradation,” even though high-altitude vineyards are characterized, among other things, by soils that have already suffered from erosion. Episodes of heavy rainfall also accentuate the phenomenon.
This concern is compounded by hot spells, which are all the more problematic when droughts are prolonged, as was the case in Europe in 2022. “These landscapes are under threat by changing climate,” warns the study lead author, Dr Paolo Tarolli. “Managing water for irrigation on agricultural slopes greater than 50 per cent (in extreme situations) is difficult; it costs and requires a very efficient and sustainable strategy.”
This problem is all the more complicated to solve since the new generation of growers is reluctant to take on these vines, which are synonymous with harsh working conditions. The study even refers to this profession as “heroic viticulture.” “The last half past century has been characterized by rural exodus and a gradual abandonment of mountain landscapes. The new generation is not attracted to continue working under extreme conditions if economic benefits are insignificant,” the researchers write.
The conclusions of this study are all the more concerning given that, throughout the world, altitude has proved to be an asset for wine growing. The study notably cites Italian examples, such as Prosecco or the wines of Pantelleria, an Italian island in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea. — ETX Studio
