Climate change set to change grape growing

The impact of global warming highlighted in the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report signals how grape growing across the world is likely to change in the future.

The IPCC warns that, as temperatures rise by 2030, drought-affected areas are likely to worsen. This is projected to be the case in Australia where less rainfall combined with higher temperatures would mean that production would decline in much of the south and the east, forcing vineyards to move to cooler climates.

But yields are expected to increase at higher latitudes, which is good news for our growing English wine industry. However, as climate change continues, the IPCC says that its negative impacts are likely to outweigh the benefits, as more frequent floods will prove a danger to crops.