Climate change could reduce the land available for vine growing and wine production in South Africa by up to 55% by 2050, according to a study conducted by the British Conservation International, reports The Times.

The Conservation International study focused on the effect of climate change on the world’s wine-producing areas, and estimated that all wine-producing land internationally will reduce by 25% by 2050, the reduction in our country’s Cape Floral region expected to be double that of the global average.

Climate change may also influence the vine varieties that are grown, due to an increasing shortage of water, as is expected for the Western Cape.  More vines may need to be irrigated too in the future.  New wine producing areas will also develop, as a result of climate change, it potentially including KwaZulu-Natal, the Northern Cape, and the southern parts of the Free State in our country.

Climate change may enhance the quality of our wines, the ‘warmer temperatures hastening ripening, producing grapes with bolder flavours and more sugar, and wine with more alcohol‘, the article concludes.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @Whale Cottage