Climate Change and Port Wine
Often, it takes someone being personally affected by something for them to become aware of it. This is perhaps one of the many reasons why climate change is difficult for people to conceptualize and even easier for them to dismiss.
‘If it doesn’t affect me personally, then why should I care?’ is too often the mantra.
Whether you believe in climate change or not, there’s no denying that there’s been a notable shift in global weather patterns over the past few decades. In fact, 2021 was Earth’s fifth-hottest year on record, according to scientists.
Climate change weighs heavy on my mind and even heavier as I consider Starboard’s vision of one day producing a crowdsourced Port wine that the world will love.
When it comes to growing grapes to make wine, climate most certainly matters.
The grapes that produce Port wine are grown exclusively in Portugal’s Douro Valley (pictured above), one of the world’s most extreme winemaking regions, namely for its dramatic topography and climate. Along with being named the oldest demarcated wine region in the world, the Douro is home to the world’s largest mountain vineyard. It’s pretty spectacular.
I reached out to the experts at School of Port, an educational initiative from premium Port producers Symington Family Estates, to see what they had to say about Port wine and climate change.
As it turns out, the Douro Valley has seen significant changes in weather patterns over the last few decades.
A few notable climate shifts include the increased frequency of summer heatwaves. The average maximum temperature during the growing season has also risen 1.7° C in the last 40 years. Droughts are more frequent and rainfall is more concentrated in sudden downpours (sometimes accompanied with hail), which doesn’t favor adequate water retention in the soil.
“Higher temperatures and lower rainfall are often reflected in lower yields, sometimes meaning greater concentration and sometimes lower than ideal acidity,” School of Port experts noted.
As the Douro has always been and continues to be a region of dry farming — meaning the vines depend solely on rainfall (not irrigation systems) for water — growers in the region have been preparing for the effects of climate change for years.
To better acclimate to the changing climate patterns, growers are favoring cooler areas in the form of higher altitudes and north-facing regions to plant and replant vines. In extreme conditions, growers can consider deficit irrigation (i.e. carefully controlled drop irrigation) as a last resort to preserve the crop (but never to increase production).
What makes the Douro such an impressive winemaking region is that it’s home to a variety of grapes that can be used to make Port.
“Research into the most drought-resistant grape varieties in several R&D grape variety libraries has made and continues to make a valuable contribution” to chart a course for the future of Port wine, School of Port experts note.
Keep following along as we venture together to a new Port.
Cheers,
Rebecca
