The game of wines

Climate change over the last 30 years has had multiple effects on the wine industry - some beneficial, others not quite as much.

The grape harvest in Europe and North America has ended and vintners are busy racking the resulting reds and bottling the whites that are mostly already ready.

Since vineyards are largely rain-fed in key grape-growing areas, the weather is critical for determining grape quality. And since 80 per cent of a wine’s quality is determined by that of the grapes, ultimately it’s mother nature that decides how good your wine will be. Of course, weather conditions vary enormously from region to region over the growing period (April to October), and so does grape (and wine) quality.

Climate change over the last 30