Grape production and wine quality in north-western Spain

During the period 1958–2005 the thermal conditions for the development and maturation of grapes in north-western Spain have improved. In this area, trends in spring and summer temperatures, and in spring rainfalls are positive. This could be of benefit to the development of the vineyards during the budbreak and bloom stages. For the autumn, no significant trends in temperature are seen, but a slight positive trend in rainfall is observed.

 According to climate projections for the period 2061–2091 based on four regional climate models and the A1B emissions scenario, grape production and wine quality will benefit from temperature increase and rainfall decrease during the growing season. The election of the grape varieties and wine styles may change in the future. The possibility of attacks by pests such as the mildew will reduce and thus allow the introduction of new varieties of grape in this region.

Source: Lorenzo et al., 2012. Regional Environmental Change. Published online 14 December 2012.

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