Climate variability and change have left a visible mark on the wine sector over recent decades. More frequent heatwaves, longer droughts, and unexpected frosts when the plant has already burst are reshaping grape growing and winemaking conditions worldwide. Grape growers, winemakers, and traders are witnessing these changes first-hand, with earlier harvests, shifting sugar and acidity levels, increased pest pressure, and even the gradual redrawing of traditional terroirs.
To help address these challenges, the European project ASPECT has been working closely with users in the wine sector to identify what climate information is needed to support decision-making. Together, we have co-designed a prototype climate service that provides actionable insights for the seasons and years ahead. This prototype includes key indicators related to frost damage, frost days, drought risk, and growing degree days. It is tailored for vineyard owners and managers, grape growers, winemakers, and others in the industry.
Wine sector: from seasons to years ahead
On Thursday 11 December, ASPECT is hosting a webinar titled “Climate information for the wine sector: from seasons to years ahead”. This session, held at 11:00-12:30 CET, will explore the challenges posed by a changing climate and how climate predictions can help the wine sector to adapt. During the webinar, we will take a deep dive into the prototype and indicators co-developed in the project. This will be followed by an interactive discussion where participants can share perspectives on the prototype and suggest improvements required to address their needs.
Antonio Graça from Sogrape will kick-start the webinar with a keynote speech. ASPECT researchers Veronica Torralba and Carlos Delgado from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center will then provide an introduction to climate predictions for the wine sector and an overview of the prototype developed in the project. Next, Kexin Geng from the University of Leeds will provide insights on the use of climate information in Europe, derived from a large-scale survey conducted earlier in ASPECT. Finally, an interactive discussion in breakout groups will give attendees a chance to participate and share their own experiences, needs and feedback on this climate service. The session will be moderated by Andria Nicodemou from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center.
Registration is now open!
Understanding the usefulness of this service for the wine sector
Climate scientists at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) have co-developed a climate service prototype for the wine sector in the form of a short bulletin. This currently features two key indicators—frost days and growing degree days—and will be refined over the coming year.
To better understand how this early-stage prototype can help address the needs of a wide range of users within the wine sector, ASPECT researchers from the University of Leeds are conducting a survey open to all wine sector stakeholders.
We invite you to have a sneak peek of the prototype before the webinar, and provide your feedback by taking part in the survey! Your contributions will help improve the provision of climate information for the wine sector, and ultimately make Europe more resilient to climate variability and change.
Participate in the survey here.