A recent visit to the Pfalz offered another perspective on the impact of climate change on wine. The winemaker at Muller-Catoir noted that making good riesling is getting harder. ‘We will still make good riesling in 20 years; but in 30? Maybe not.’ They are increasingly planting the pinots (noir and blanc) rather than riesling. They are also moving away from lower-level vineyards and up into the traditional vineyards in the hills.
Meanwhile at Bassermann-Jordan we were told that they used to use a sledge every winter; now they have not had snow for the last four years. Twenty years ago they harvested in October; now it can even start at the end of August. They are also talking about irrigation as a possibility for the future.
Wine, Culture & Society 