Wine and climate

Accidents happen. We leave the freezer door open, a tap is left running and a tub over flows, a pail of paint is tipped over, all to “disastrous” effects. Disaster enough for us, thank you. Imagine now, how it must have felt for the folks at Rodney Strong winery in Sonoma recently, when a two-foot oval door at the bottom of a 100,000 gallon tank popped open, sending nearly 500,000 bottles’ worth of 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon flooding out and away! Each bottle would have sold for over $25. Ouch.

Interestingly the focus has been more on the environmental impact than the tremendous financial loss. Fortunately, it seems that the recipient of the flood of red wine, the Russian River, has benefitted from recent rains and is moving fairly swiftly at the moment, and the initial indication is that the wildlife hasn’t been affected significantly.

California is fairly vigilant with respect to the environment. I recall that, many years ago one winery, Rabbit Ridge, had cut down a number of redwood trees on its own property, but without prior permission, and the fines were substantial.

In the Wine Enthusiast’s recent ‘Advocacy Issue’, writer Lindsay Patterson dealt with the impact of climate change and how some are trying to address it.

Concerns for the environment and the wine industry’s impact on it have prompted Miguel Torres, whose family has operations in South America, California, and Spain, to take action to reduce substantially the carbon footprint of their enterprises. Patterson’s article explained that the wine industry alone is responsible for .3 per cent of the total greenhouse gas emissions.

After watching Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth in 2007, Miguel Torres decided to do something about it. He started a program, Torres & Earth, with the goal of reducing the Torres’ carbon footprint by 30 per cent by 2020. Torres has met that goal and is planning further reductions.

How is this being managed? According to Patterson, “A big focus is energy. The winery installed a biomass boiler, which converts pruned vines and other organic residue into heat and electricity. The winery’s solar panel array produces 29 per cent of energy needed for the vineyard. Geothermal installations are used to control the temperature in the winemaking facilities. Even the new office air-conditioning system was chosen with carbon balance considered as part of the cost.

Familia Torres has begun other experiments with carbon capture and storage, where carbon molecules released by the fermentation process are captured and converted back into useable energy. They also perform experiments in a designated “climate change vineyard.”

According to Torres, 88.2 per cent of emissions from each bottle of its wine come from suppliers and distributors. The bottle itself is a huge part of that. Bodegas Torres repackaged some of its wines into bottles that are 15 per cent lighter.”

Patterson also quotes Dr. Elizabeth Wolkovich, an ecologist at the University of British Columbia, who tells us that “with continued warming, it may be hard to continue growing grapes in some regions.” Through her research on European vineyards, she’s found that harvest time is coming two to three weeks earlier than during the 1980s. Every stage of the vine growth cycle is shifting, from budburst to ripening, opening vineyards to vulnerabilities like frost and drought. These conditions trickle down into taste, aroma, alcohol content and general wine quality.

One response to this, as the Wine Spectator reports, is for wine regions to consider using grapes that have not been previously allowed under their regulations. Bordeaux, for example, where the primary grapes have been Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, has recently expanded permission to include traditional Portuguese varietals which may be better suited in the face of global warming.

In California and Australia, wineries are experimenting with Italian varietals as well. It is a big commitment, as it can take many years to figure out what will work best. As we can see, wine is impacting on the climate, and just as significantly, climate change will definitely have a global impact on the production of wine.

Correction: In my last article, I mistakenly named Argentina as the home of the excellent Escudo Rojo Cabernet Sauvignon 2018. Actually, the wine is produced in Chile, a country in which Cabernet Sauvignon is known to flourish.

February 22 Vintages Release

White

Aveleda Alvarinho 2018, $14.95 – When a wine is No. 4 on the Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 Best Buys for 2019, you buy it. Writer Roger Voss tells us this Portuguese bargain has “a smooth character that is sharpened by touches of minerality. It is packed with refreshing fruitiness from the lingering juicy acidity.” – 90.

Castel Del Lago Lugana 2018, $16.95, hails from the area around Lake Garda west of Verona in the Veneto region. Blest with a temperate climate thanks to the lake, the vines, growing in clay rich in mineral salts, are able to produce wines of good depth and complexity. The grape, Turbiana, is identical to Trebbiano di Lugana, but gets its particular character from its terroir. Vintages suggests ripe peach and apricot fruit, along with honeysuckle and grassy notes, with the minerality shining on the finish.

Cuvéé Joseph Talmard Mâcon Chardonnay 2018, $16.95, offers us the opportunity to try a modest but well-made Burgundy. It is a “ripe and creamy wine, with tropical fruits and balanced acidity,” Roger Voss writes – 88.

Bellingham Homestead Series The Old Orchards Chenin Blanc 2018, $17.95, is a terrific example of what South Africa can do with this grape most commonly associated with France’s Loire region. Despite its relatively low cost, this wine has the potential to age for a few years, which should make it even more harmonious than it is today. That it is made from 25-year-old bush vines tells us that the fruit should be of high quality. It displays ripe stone fruit and even a touch of marmalade, along with a honeyed silkiness, as well as a good citrus note on the finish. Lots of body and flavour – Bravo!

Red

Señorio de la Antigua Finca Cabanela Mencia 2015, $13.95, is a Spanish treat. Michael Schachner in the Wine Enthusiast explains that it is “pure and ripe, with bracing acidity.” Replete with black fruit, “this balanced red blends weight and power with freshness and finesse.” – 92

V3 Sans Sulfites Ajoutés 2018, $14.95, from France’s Southwest meets Vegan standards. Writer Sara d’ Amato calls it a “straight-up value”, saying it is “very clean, easy drinking with mellow tannins and an abundance of fruit.” - 89

Laura Hartwig Single Vineyard Sauvignon 2017, $14.95 has James Suckling’s approval, saying it is “juicy and round on the palate with soft tannins and a medium chewy finish”. - 91.

Salentein Reserve Malbec 2017, $17.95, from Argentina, rivals the company’s ‘Primum Malbec’, according to winesandspiritsmagazine.com, which says it is a “pure, fresh, floral Malbec, purple and bright. Herbal notes add a cool spice.” - 94.

Spoken Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, $24.95, from Washington’s Columbia Valley is described by the producers as “rugged, refined and proudly made.” The ‘refined’ is underscored on the attractively smooth entry, while the ’rugged’ aptly applies to the extremely dry effect that follows, though the tannins are definitely integrated and soft. The Vintages people rightly identify a leathery note. The fruit is dark and ample and will assert itself more emphatically when the wine has had a chance to open up and a vanilla note emerges. Clean, long and deep, this is an impressive Cab, assisted as it is by 12 per cent Syrah and a splash of Merlot.

On the last release, you’ll find an excellent B.C. Shiraz, The Black Sage Vineyard 2016 Shiraz, $31.95. My goodness, this is tasty! Dark fruit asserts itself from the get-go, but there isn’t even a whisper of it being either jammy or flabby, as respectable tannins make their presence felt. The fruit is grown in the South Okanagan desert. As the winery tells us, the wine is “full of fruit flavour, with mouth coating tannins and great structure.” It is a pleasure and an awakening to realize such “desert” wines can be capably produced in the Okanagan!

The Black Sage Shiraz didn’t make its way to Sault Ste. Marie; however, it can be ordered online from vintages.com, for either store or home delivery. If you have it sent to your nearest store, they will let you know when it is in, and you won’t have to worry about a delivery when you aren’t home. Go for it!