Climate Change Vulnerabilities and Adaptive Responses in the Wine Industry: Implications for Pinot Noir in Two Emerging Wine Regions
Joanna Fountain
Understanding climate futures is critical for a sustainable and resilient wine industry. Wine growing is a complex productive system, highly sensitive and susceptible to relatively small variations in climate to a degree greater than most agricultural products. Wine regions globally are experiencing creeping changes in climate variability in relation to precipitation and temperature patterns, as well as an increasing frequency of extreme, high-impact weather events. Recent advances in probabilistic and biophysical modelling of climate change under different scenarios of future change is enabling new ways to explore the implications for the wine industry on a global, national and regional scale. Considerable research is also accumulating on potential short term and longer term adaptation strategies for both viticultural and winemaking practices. However there is a need to understand the perspectives of wine producers and other key regional wine stakeholders in the identification of vulnerabilities in their own regions and properties, in the adaptive responses available, and the priorities for action at a business and regional level in the face of concerns about the implications of climate change for the characteristics and varietal typicity associated with wine regions.
Based on ongoing quantitative and qualitative research, this paper will explore the scientific evidence and wine producers’ perceptions of how these issues may impact the identity of the Pinot Noir produced in New Zealand and the Okanagan Valley. Specifically, the paper will address the questions: What are the impacts and implications of climate change for Pinot Noir production in these regions? What evidence is there of innovative decisions and actions by Pinot Noir producers to avoid negative consequences and benefit from opportunities? And finally: What might be the impact on the identity of Pinot Noir in these regions as a result of climate change?
Joanna Fountain is a social scientist with diverse research interests focused on analyses of change and resilience in rural regions. Much of this research has agrifood products at its core, and explores the relationship between local factors, such as a region’s networks and social capital and exposure to natural hazards and risks, and external influences, for example, the changing flows and demands of tourists and policy and market shifts. This work explores the complexity of rural value chains (from farm/vineyard to markets), as well as the perspective of local food producers, residents, tourism industry stakeholders, and non-local actors (including tourists). In this research agritourism and rural festivals are envisaged as tools for optimising and enhancing rural resilience, community networks, and consumer/tourist experiences. She is currently exploring these issues in a range of industry contexts and regions (e.g. Kaikōura, North Canterbury, Marlborough) in a number of externally-funded projects.