The topic of global warming has some people scratching their heads, some naysayers denying its existence, and some grape growers concerned for the future. Global warming is occurring, and the consequences could be enormous for all walks of life. Climate is one of the most influential factors in determining a) the quality of grapes grown in the vineyard and b) what grapes to plant in certain climates. For example, in the Sta. Rita Hills where Lafond Vineyard is planted, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay flourish in the cool climate, benefitting from coastal breezes. Up in Napa Valley, where days get hotter, Cabernet Sauvignon is king. So what happens when temperatures start to slowly creep up? Everything is thrown off balance, and perhaps valleys or hillsides that were once deemed inappropriate for planting grapes will become the new hot spots. There is no way to get around the impact of climate change for grape growers.
Steve Heimoff, of Wine Enthusiast Magazine, has one of my favorite wine blogs on the web right now. He has some interesting notes on this topic in today’s post (see below and visit his website for the full article). If you are a reader of wine blogs, make sure to check his out.
The climate change deniers, bless their dumb little hearts, are getting lots of buzz lately, but I’ll side with the scientists, the majority of whom are absolutely sure that warming is occurring and that it’s getting dangerously too late to do anything about it.
The latest — as if we didn’t have enough evidence — comes from Stanford, where UPI is reporting that a team led by Noah Diffenbaugh “say they’ve determined global warming could significantly negatively impact U.S. wine and corn production.” (I’m not going to write here about corn except to say that I love it when it’s ripe in the summertime and will miss it if it goes away.) They go on to say that “global warming could reduce the current U.S. wine grape region by 81 percent by the end of the century” due to hotter and hotter days in wine country like California’s, which, in places like Napa Valley, is already pretty hot.
(Diffenbaugh presents his formal study today at an American Geophysical Union held in Moscone Center and I’m sure it will be widely reported.)
It’s not just that excessive heat could make even coastal valleys inappropriate for delicate varieties, like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A warming climate could upset the ecosystem in much more fundamental ways. Science Daily describes how,“if spring-like weather arrives earlier than usual, and flowers bloom and wither before the pollinators [like bees] appear,”then wines might not even produce fruit. Earlier, scientists had calculated that a rise of only 2-4 degrees Celsius in grape regions could cause “losses [to be] be as high as 40 percent by mid-century.” In a previous study, Diffenbaugh determined that temperatures “from the principal wine regions of California, Oregon and Washington” already have risen in recent years by nearly 1 degree Celsius, and that was before some of the hottest years on record were yet to come.
Click Here for the rest of the article
Joanie Hudson, Director of National and International Marketing, Santa Barbara Winery / Lafond Winery & Vineyards
Also interesting in this article is the discussion of the uniqueness of Zinfandel grape clusters, which states that the berries in the clusters do not ripen evenly, producing “unique flavor dynamics… There is bright acidity from slightly underripe grapes, perfect fruit flavors from the ripe berries, and concentration and depth from the slightly withered or overripe ones.” 
Vineyards have tried all sorts of things to discourage or frighten away birds. Canons, propelled by natural gas that make loud noises, not particularly appreciated by neighbors. Bright metal strips, tied to the vines, that flutter in the wind and more recently falcons. 
The first two, canons and metal strips, are an insult to the birds intelligence, they soon become accustomed and after initially staying away return with a vengeance.
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