How Winemakers are Adapting to Climate Change

Climate change is driving more extreme weather, including intense heat, wildfires, and floods, making global climates increasingly unpredictable.

Vineyards across the world are not exempt from these effects. Rising temperatures are making it harder for winemakers to maintain consistent flavour profiles, forcing many to blend wines from multiple years or vintages to produce non-vintage wines.

The flavour and quality of wine depend heavily on the climate in which grapes are grown. However, warmer conditions and wildfires are dramatically altering the character and identity of wines, stripping regions of the distinctive flavours that once defined them.

A study published in Nature Reviews Earth and Environment titled “Climate change impacts and adaptations in wine production” warns that if global temperatures rise more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, up to 70% of the world’s current wine-producing regions could become unsuitable for grape cultivation.

Around 90% of traditional wine regions in southern California, Greece, Spain, and Italy are already at serious risk due to droughts and frequent heatwaves.

Conversely, wine production may expand into new areas, including parts of Washington State, Oregon, Tasmania, and the southern United Kingdom.

While wine producers are adopting adaptation strategies,  such as changing grape varieties, adjusting training systems, and refining vineyard management, these measures may not fully safeguard profitability. The authors stress the need for further research into the economic impacts of large-scale climate adaptation in the wine industry.

How climate change alters grape composition and wine quality

Another study, published in the Italian Journal of Food Science (January 2025), underscores the significant impact of climate change on viticulture and the wine industry. It highlights how shifting climate patterns affect grape composition, winemaking processes, and ultimately, wine quality.

As with many agricultural products, winemaking relies on a delicate balance between climate, soil, and topography — factors that are unique to each vineyard. Vineyard management, grape variety, and winemaking technique also play crucial roles in determining the quality and value of the final product.

Grape composition is determined by complex molecular compounds at harvest, and modern winemaking aims to achieve optimal maturity. The study explains that grape maturity is now assessed through both technological factors (such as sugar and acid ratios) and physiological, phenolic, and aromatic qualities — all of which are shaped by climate.

Rising temperatures stress vines, affecting berry composition and wine balance. Earlier ripening and harvests are now common, shifting the flavour profile and acidity of wines. To maintain quality, winemakers must continually adjust to these changing conditions — a growing challenge in an increasingly unstable climate.

The shift toward non-vintage wines

According to a BBC report, wildfires and warmer temperatures are increasingly robbing wines of their signature flavours, sometimes even ruining entire vintages. As a result, many winemakers are blending wines from different years to achieve a consistent taste — a growing trend towards non-vintage production.

Vintage wines are made exclusively from grapes harvested in a single exceptional year, while non-vintage (NV) wines combine multiple harvests to maintain a steady flavour profile. Non-vintage blending is typical in sparkling wines like Champagne, Cava, and Prosecco, but remains rare among still wines such as Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Rosé. Traditionally, vintage wines have been viewed as superior, while non-vintage wines are often seen as lower in quality.

Chris Howell, a veteran winemaker from Napa, California, recalls increasingly hotter summers reaching up to 50°C. In 2017, severe wildfires struck during harvest, forcing him to use only grapes picked before the fires to avoid smoke contamination.

In contrast, northern France’s warmer summers have recently enabled more consistent production of vintage champagnes. Previously, cooler seasons meant that producers often blended wines from multiple years to ensure quality and consistency.

Italian vintner Riccardo Pasqua began producing non-vintage still wines in 2019, blending grapes from as many as five different years, a concept inspired by non-vintage Champagne. His goal: to craft the best wine from a single vineyard while reducing the impact of unpredictable weather. With climate change now intensifying droughts and hailstorms across Italy, Pasqua says more winemakers are exploring or adopting this non-vintage approach (Smale, 2025).

Conclusion

As climate change reshapes global winemaking, non-vintage wines are no longer a sign of compromise — but of climate adaptation.

They represent a growing movement among winemakers to preserve quality, consistency, and heritage amid environmental uncertainty.