Climate change is progressing rapidly in the sparkling wine regions – whether in Champagne, where wines are changing their character, or in Spain, the home of Cava, where entire vintages are threatened by drought. The other side of the coin is new wine regions such as southern England, which has become a sparkling wine hotspot thanks to climate change.
The Ruinart champagne house is famous for its Blanc de Blancs full of elegance and finesse. Like many champagnes, these fine wines are particularly susceptible to changes in the growing conditions. The warmer the weather, the more mature the aroma of the wines. Ruinart is aware of this and compensates for vintage fluctuations as best it can with reserve wines.
But cellar master Frédéric Panaïotis and his team are not content to fight alone: in response to the changing conditions, they have created the Blanc Singulier wine, which can also be found in selected restaurants in German-speaking countries with the 2019 vintage. "Changing climatic conditions and steadily rising temperatures give the Chardonnay grapes a more intense, fruity and spicy note," says Ruinart. The new wine is still typically Ruinart, but with a slightly different character.
Of course, Ruinart is not prepared to simply accept this change - in recent years, it has invested in a major reforestation project in its Taissy vineyard. The aim is to regenerate the soil and restore the original fauna and flora on the plot. The planting creates habitats for animals that are useful for viticulture - ladybugs, lacewings, birds and bats. It also helps to reduce the effects of heat and drought. The findings will ultimately be passed on to the grape producers – who account for the majority of production in the region. It's not easy, the trees and hedges need soil, which is expensive in the best locations in Champagne. A long battle.
Something similar is already permitted in Champagne and Rioja: In good years, unprocessed grape juice should be retained in tanks and added to the wine in the following year, which may turn out to be lean. Grape juice up to three years old can still be processed in this way – in order to further increase the quantity, the maximum permitted yield has been raised from 12 to 15 tons per hectare.
This is probably just the beginning. According to a study published by Spanish and Canadian scientists a few years ago, at least half of all wine-growing regions are threatened by climate change. If temperatures rise by two degrees in the future, the zones suitable for viticulture would be reduced by 56 percent, and by as much as 85 percent at four degrees. Wine-growing areas in cooler regions such as New Zealand, the Pacific Northwest of the USA, Germany, Switzerland and Austria would survive the two-degree increase in average temperature relatively unscathed.
Others could even benefit significantly. England, for example, where – as no one would have guessed – a flourishing sparkling wine industry has developed in recent decades. And this despite the fact that England lies above the 50th parallel, which was long considered the limit for quality viticulture. Even champagne houses have been investing in the future here for some years now, as they are increasingly feeling the effects of climate change on their own doorstep and the conditions on the island are promising.
In England, there are chalky soils like in Champagne and local producers don't have to worry about acidity – the framework of every sparkling wine – or excessive alcohol levels. Quite the opposite. Here and there you have to help the grapes to ripen properly. "The challenges here are definitely different to those in Central Europe," reports Brad Greatrix. He and his wife Cherie Spriggs came from Australia to the south of England in 2007 to join Nyetimber, now the country's largest sparkling wine producer.
The foundation stone for the production of high-quality sparkling wines was laid in 1988 when the first vineyards were planted. Against all advice, the then owners Sandy and Stuart Moss opted for the classic Champagne grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. A risk in the cool, damp English climate, but one that was rewarded a good ten years later with awards at international competitions.
"It has now become difficult to find new cultivation areas because the competition has increased significantly," says Greatrix. Also because the requirements for the surfaces at Nyetimber are clearly defined. The sites must be south-facing and the soil must be chalk or green sand. Greensand is a greenish sandstone with a high magnesium content.
After all, around 350 hectares in southern England have been found that meet the requirements and are all cultivated by the company itself – no grapes are bought in. The flagship of the house is without doubt the Tillington Single Vineyard, a balanced, complex sparkling wine that even 18 years ago, when Eric Heerema acquired the winery, would never have been thought possible in England. The times they are changing.
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