“So far, global warming has mostly put chilly Champagne in a climatic sweet spot, with average temperatures that ensure grapes ripen every year. But that’s not the whole story… Buds appear earlier, so spring frosts are more destructive. Warmer nights push maturity but also encourage new pests and diseases.”
Elin McCoy talks to Antoine Malassagne and Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, winemakers at A. R. Lenoble and Louis Roederer, about the influence a warming climate is having on champagne production.
In an age of lowering acidity, the Champenois are trying everything to maintain freshness and ‘zing’ in the sparkling wine we love – including covering the soil in vineyards with straw to prevent sunlight from destroying microbial life.
Read Elin McCoy’s full report for Bloomberg here.
