http://www.spacedaily.com/news/climate-03zh.htmlA study of the world's top 27 wine regions' temperatures and wine quality over the past 50 years reveals that rising temperatures have already impacted vintage quality. As for the next 50 years, climate modeling for these same wine regions predicts a 2 C temperature rise that is likely to make cool growing regions better producers of some grape varieties, and already warm wine regions less hospitable for viticulture.
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"Grapes are a good indicator crop," explains Jones regarding the broader applications of their wine-specific work. Because wine grapes are grown in temperate climates -- what's called a "Mediterranean" climate -- and wines are almost obsessively tasted and rated for quality, wine grapes are a particularly good indicator of changes that are probably effecting other crops in the same areas, says Jones.Damn. :o Thoughts, anyone?