Could Yorkshire be the next Bordeaux?
Northern Europe, including Denmark and parts of Yorkshire, could be the centre of winemaking in as little as 75 years if nothing is done to curb rising temperatures, a new report has found.
Consultancy firm Bain & Company has published its first annual Fine Wines and Restaurants Market Monitor report, which predicts what the wine landscape will look like in less than 100 years.
“Climate change is redrawing the wine map,” the report says.
Regions in southern Europe are facing temperature rises of 3°C from flowering to harvest in 2024, as well as extreme droughts, with rainfall decreasing by 50mm.
The threat to traditional vineyards could push winemaking into more northern areas. The report cited Denmark as a country which will “gain ground with longer growing seasons and milder conditions”.
Denmark already produces wine. The country, has been officially recognised as a wine-producing region since 2000, though the industry is still relatively small. Denmark, which lies between 54° and 58° of latitude north, is considered the northernmost grape-growing area in Europe.
Within the country, Nygaardsminde Vineyard is located at a latitude of 57,29° and is registered as Denmark’s northernmost professional vineyard.
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Bain & Company’s report cites other parts of southern Scandinavia, northern France, Germany and England as the future centres of wine production if nothing is done to slow rising temperatures.
The most northerly point in England that will support the grape is predicted to be Yorkshire with the cut-off just north of the city of Hull, according to The Times.
It predicted that Cabernet Sauvignon, once exclusive to southern Europe and an icon grape of Bordeaux, may thrive in central and northern regions by 2100.
The report stated: “If the climate challenge is not addressed, cabernet sauvignon, once exclusive to southern Europe, may thrive in central and northern regions by 2100. To adapt, the industry must invest in policy reforms, agricultural technology and collaborative solutions to ensure a sustainable future.”
Cabernet Sauvignon is already being cultivated in the UK, though not as far north as East Riding. According to The Great British Vineyards Guide, Morville St Gregory vineyard, based in the West Midlands, is the most northerly site currently growing Cabernet Sauvignon vines.
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