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UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Faw_Peter - 05-26-2008
Increasing summer temperatures could mean some parts of southern England are too hot to grow vines for making wine by 2080, according to a new book launched today (26 May 2008).
The author, Emeritus Professor Richard Selley from Imperial College London, claims that if average summer temperatures in the UK continue to rise as predicted, the Thames Valley, parts of Hampshire and the Severn valley, which currently contain many vineyards, will be too hot to support wine production within the next 75 years.
Instead, Professor Selley says, this land could be suitable for growing raisins, currents and sultanas, currently only cultivated in hot climates such as North Africa and the Middle East.
In addition, he adds that if the climate changes in line with predictions by the Met Office's Hadley Centre, by 2080 vast areas of the UK including Yorkshire and Lancashire will be able to grow vines for wines like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon which are currently only cultivated in warmer climates like the south of France and Chile.
Different grape varieties flourish in different temperatures, and are grouped into cool, intermediate, warm and hot grape groups. For the last 100 years 'cool' Germanic grape varieties have been planted in British vineyards to produce wines like Reisling. In the last 20 years some 'intermediate' French grape varieties have been successfully planted in southeast England, producing internationally prize-winning sparkling white wines made from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.
Combining temperature predictions from the IPCC and the Met Office's Hadley Centre with his own research on UK vineyards throughout history, Professor Selley predicts that these cool and intermediate grape varieties will be confined to the far north of England, Scotland and Wales by 2080, with 'warm' and 'hot' varieties seen throughout the midlands and south of England.
Explaining the significance of his new study, Emeritus Professor Selley from Imperial's Department of Earth Science and Engineering, said: "My previous research has shown how the northernmost limit of UK wine-production has advanced and retreated up and down the country in direct relation to climatic changes since Roman times.
"Now, with models suggesting the average annual summer temperature in the south of England could increase by up to five degrees centigrade by 2080, I have been able to map how British viticulture could change beyond recognition in the coming years. Grapes that currently thrive in the south east of England could become limited to the cooler slopes of Snowdonia and the Peak District."
Professor Sir Brian Hoskins, Director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London, said: "This research shows how the environment in the UK could be affected by climate change in a relatively short period of time. Increases in temperature over the course of this century could have a dramatic effect on what can be grown here, including vines."
Professor Selley's book is called 'The Winelands of Britain: past, present and prospective.' It is the second edition of a work first published in 2004. The new edition includes additional material on the future of UK viticulture, in light of recent climate change models.
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - M.Helen - 07-18-2008
Let's hope that by 2080 the problem of vine-growing will be an important one. This means people won't have any other issues and will keep growing vines.
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Terry - 07-20-2008
The potential of vine-growing will pass to the Northern UK. If in England the temperatures will be so hot, I can't imagine what will happen to France...
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - M.Helen - 07-30-2008
France would become a desert probably, let alone other southern European countries like Italy and Greece.
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Benn - 07-31-2008
Bananas and coco nuts will become the main fruits to grow in Europe. These forecasts are not consolatory at all.
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Faw_Peter - 08-02-2008
Why not? this is a good business. These fruits are more expensive than the vegetables that are grown in Europe.
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - M.Helen - 08-07-2008
These fruits are expensive when there is deficit on them, but they will cost almost nothing when they will spread everywhere.
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Karl.in.eu - 08-07-2008
Considering the bad weather, flooding and other natural disasters that hit Europe in the past few years, it is hard to imagine that.
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - M.Helen - 08-07-2008
by bad weather you probably meant hot weather in summer and quite cold weather in winter.
By 2080 the entire Europe might become a desert if things continue that way.
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Karl.in.eu - 08-11-2008
M.Helen Wrote:by bad weather you probably meant hot weather in summer and quite cold weather in winter.
By 2080 the entire Europe might become a desert if things continue that way.
Yes, but I meant that with all this hurricanes, we might not be able to grow even fruits. :?
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Hakan G - 08-11-2008
It is interested what people from UK have to comment on this. Is the change in temperature already notable?
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Faw_Peter - 08-12-2008
I have a friend in UK. What he noted is that the temperature is obviously warmer than 10 years ago. Less rains
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Benn - 08-20-2008
besides, I'm sure the rains in UK contain more acids than before.
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - willyoumind - 08-20-2008
A few friends of mine, which live in United Kingdom said that the weather has been drastically changed since the last few decades...
Thus, they even said that the of bumble bee also have been decreased in a large amount...
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Benn - 08-20-2008
you mentioned bees? I didin't understand what you meant?!
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Mauricio - 08-22-2008
M.Helen Wrote:Let's hope that by 2080 the problem of vine-growing will be an important one. This means people won't have any other issues and will keep growing vines.nn
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Faw_Peter - 08-22-2008
Mauricio, you probably agree with Helen, right? Me either, I hope the world events are not gonna be so bad that we forget about vine growing.
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Karl.in.eu - 08-30-2008
So it seems that the popular rainy weather which made London famous is now disappearing. I wonder if the locals are happier.
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Faw_Peter - 09-08-2008
Locals are used to rains. If they cease, Englishmen won't be genuine Englishmen. I mean the weather is in some way a reason for their temper.
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Big_Becka - 09-10-2008
Faw_Peter Wrote:Locals are used to rains. If they cease, Englishmen won't be genuine Englishmen. I mean the weather is in some way a reason for their temper.So true! :haha But lack of rain is not the problem. Last summer we had very heavy rainfall, with major flooding in England (particularly Gloucestershire). This summer has been nearly as bad, and there were severe weather warnings in the west of england last Friday. The water companies still tell us there is a shortage... Apparently is isn't the right sort of rain... :quoi
We even had a tornado last year!!! <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7010172.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7010172.stm</a><!-- m -->
It is definitely warmer. When my parents were young, it was much more common to snow over winter. In Scotland, the ski resorts cannot gaurantee snow :nonnon Then when it does snow, it is very severe. I heard on the news that our weather will not become meditteranean, but will become extreme and unpredictable, with floods and droughts.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4210000/newsid_4210700/4210725.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsi ... 210725.stm</a><!-- m -->
I hope this English wine improves
lurp - currently it's cheap and nasty, with a plastic cork :evil .
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Terry - 09-14-2008
Becka, are there really good wines made in UK? To me, even the current climate in UK is not good enough for growing vines that would give grapes containing enough sugar and other required substances.
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Big_Becka - 09-14-2008
Terry Wrote:Becka, are there really good wines made in UK? To me, even the current climate in UK is not good enough for growing vines that would give grapes containing enough sugar and other required substances.Wine is grown in the south - I think there are vineyards in Kent, and maybe Suffolk... Some of the wines are supposed to be good - to rival the french - but I haven't tasted one I like yet! Most people buy wine from more traditional wine-growing countries...
I was told that the best vineyards are on the sides of valleys, like the Rhine - the geography in southern England is not like this.
However, there is a tradition of making Country Wines (made from other fruit instead of grapes) in Britain - you can buy really nice ones in the westcountry, and some people still make their own
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Steven - 09-16-2008
I once tasted a wine made of raspberries. My god, it was the worst wine I've ever tasted. No fruit can substitute grape as wine ingredient.
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Karl.in.eu - 09-26-2008
You just made me wanna taste some raspberries
Re: UK Could Be Too Hot For Wine-making By 2080 - Terry - 09-27-2008
Actually wine can be made of many other fruits. But the grape proved to be the best. I guess the possible problem that will occur UK in 2080 won't be a problem at all. Englishmen drink tea, not wine.