So, How About This Weather, Eh?

Not so long ago, I wrote about the challenging harvest that New Zealand and Australia were facing this season for their 2012 Vintage and highlighted how this impacts the price of wine.  We learned that climate and weather are impacting the process and, consequently, the price.

We in Ontario are not immune to these climate caused pressures and the Niagara region is especially affected by warmer seasonal average temperatures.  The Toronto Star has a very good article on the challenges facing the wineries from 2011/12's unusually warm winter and how this will affect the final product.

I have two thoughts on the subject, first: keep an eye out for early reviews of this year's Ice Wine from Niagara, especially the most renowned producers.  Ice Wine from Niagara has a worldwide reputation and is always in high demand.  Ice Wine is an excellent wine to cellar for a very long time.  If the small amounts are as good as the article suggests, this could be one of Niagara's better vintages and a good opportunity to enhance a fine collection.  Look for wines from Daniel Lenko, Royal de Maria, Inniskillen, Thomas and Vaughn, Magnotta, Pilliteri, Chateau de Charmes, Coyote Run and Creekside.  Be prepared to pay a little more than usual, but keep in mind: with ice wine a little goes a long way.

Secondly, I think that Niagara's best year might still be ahead.  Global warming is certainly changing the seasonal highs and lows for the region, but this winter came on the heels of two record breaking cold and snowy winters and we should probably expect that, for the next few winters anyway, perhaps a longer fall (resulting in riper fruit with more sugar) and then some cold temperatures at night late in December or early January (ideal harvesting conditions).  I do not think that it is inconceivable to expect a "perfect" winter at some time considering the way in which our climate has behaved.  

In the 90's I spent a lot of time writing Emergency Preparedness Plans and researching some of the threats clients should prepare for.  One such threat was global warming and the predictions of that theory that I familiarized myself with back then are rapidly coming to fruition ( get it, fruition, because it's a blog about wine) Anyway, one prediction was the increase in numbers and severity of severe weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes and blizzards.  As well, the expectation was to see unusual warm weather in historically colder regions and cold and snow in traditionally warm areas.  We saw some of all that this past year with snow in Arizona, temperatures in the 20's(celcius) mid winter in the North East, large killer tornadoes in the midwest out of season, and the weather bomb in Australia/New Zealand, not to mention the bizarre weather of Europe this past year.

For the immediate future, farmers of all stripes will be facing challenges to produce a quality product in sufficient quantity, but for the wine producers, these challenges might be more profitable, in the short term at least, and the Niagara region might be well placed to be the most profitable.

A hat tip to Sarah for the link to the Star article.