By Robert Lalasz

Climate has a huge impact on winegrowing — affecting everything from harvest quality and quantity to whether a vineyard can produce delicate whites or fruit-forward reds.

So it's no surprise that the winegrowing industry is taking steps to adapt to the affects of climate change. But some of those steps might further endanger Earth's Mediterranean habitats — where much of the world's wine is produced and which are already some of the most threatened habitats in the world.

"Some farms are buying land upslope at higher elevations, or are moving toward cooler microclimates near coastlines in order to adapt to warming trends," says Jeffrey Parrish, director of global Mediterrnean habitats for The Nature Conservancy.

"Those moves have profound implications for Mediterranean nature if these vineyards are moving into unspoiled habitat."

Indeed, eight acres of Mediterranean habitat — which occurs in California, Chile, South Africa, Australia and the Mediterranean Basin region — have already been destroyed for every one acre that has been protected.

An Overall Contraction in Winegrowing Areas Likely

Most climate models predict a warming trend across the entire globe — and that could spell trouble for winegrowing in Mediterranean habitats, says Parrish.

"According to recent studies published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Mediterranean regions are predicted to experience more prolonged extreme heat days," he says. "On a coarse level, that's going to dramatically affect which grapes can grow where, and generally threaten a lot of productive vineyards."

"The United States is likely to see an overall contraction in winegrowing area, as it’s just going to be too hot for too many days in too many places," he adds.

Parrish, however, doubts that we’ll see specific varietals going extinct.

"With global demand for wine increasing, production will just shift to different regions of the country or of the world," he says. "Vineyard managers do have some ways to adapt to changing climate by switching grapes, irrigation techniques, or harvesting earlier."

Land Conversion Threatens Habitats

But conservation sees another dimension to wine and climate change: that cooler Mediterranean microclimates could see an expansion of vineyards, which could threaten the last natural Mediterranean habitats in those areas.

"An example is happening in California's Mendocino County, where people are now clearcutting to plant new pinot noir vineyards in areas that were never considered for grape-growing in the past," says Parrish.

"So vineyards can move and adapt — but endangered natural systems don't have as many options, especially in fragmented landscapes," he adds. "And once a Mediterranean ecosystem is converted to agriculture, it can be very hard to impossible to get it back."

Other effects of climate change — such as changes in water availability — might also compound the problem but also help form new conservation alliances.

"Water availability will certainly factor into farmers' decisions about what kinds of grapes they can grow and in what quantity," Parrish says. "This will likely make the Conservancy and agriculturalists allies in protecting watershed functions."

"Climate change’s effects on water availability are definitely a worry for winegrape farmers," he concludes. "Additional losers in all this will be native plants and species who can't buy water rights. That’s why we must combine forces with the wine industry to find solutions to the threat of climate change."

What's the Conservancy Doing to Help?

These shifts in land use by the wine industry mean shifts in the threats and opportunities for nature conservation and the Conservancy.

"We need to work together to help the industry think about where and how growth and climate adaptation of vineyards can occur without creating additional problems such as loss of species or watershed function," says Parrish.

Indeed, the Conservancy is now working across the world's Mediterranean habitat regions — from Australia to Chile to California — to conserve these endangered ecosystems, often through new and innovative partnerships with influential stakeholders.

The Conservancy is exploring opportunities to work with wine industry leaders in Mediterranean regions to:

• Protect remaining native habitat in vineyard landscapes,
• Understand the ecological and economic and business risks and opportunities that the industry offers mediterranean conservation, and
• Engage in marketing and philanthropy efforts.

"Working with vineyards and wineries for solutions that can sustain their incomes while protecting the lands and waters we all need is quintessentially The Nature Conservancy," says Parrish.

"The Conservancy is one of the few conservation organizations that has the science, the creativity and the willingness to work closely with industry allies to find solutions."

Robert Lalasz is senior editorial manager for nature.org.

Nature picture credits (left to right): © Ron Geatz/TNC (South African landscape); iStockPhoto.com (King Protea flower, Australia)