Around the Nation Wed November 2, 2011 Climate Change Has Calif.
Vintners Rethinking Grapes Prime California wine country areas
like the Napa Valley could soon be facing rising temperatures,
according to climate change studies. So some wineries are
thinking of switching to grapes that are better suited to a
warmer climate. But when vineyards have staked their reputations
on certain wines, adapting to climate change is a tough sell.
The specific type of grape, or varietal, is how most of us think
about wine. At one recent meeting of the San Francisco Wine
Lovers Group, for instance, members listed pinot noirs,
sauvignon blancs or cabernets among their favorite kinds of
wine. All are well-known varieties grown in the California
region. "That's the big problem," says Andy Walker, a grape
breeder at the University of California, Davis. "We've spent the
last 100 years emphasizing varieties, and we've really marketed
those names very effectively." The university's test vineyard
grows hundreds of different wine grap