Climate is one of the most important factors influencing wine style. It's important to the wine producer, as it will determine the size of the crop and its quality, the raw materials for crafting wines. Similarly, it’s also important to the wine drinker/consumer, as climate will determine the style of the wine, influencing preferences and guiding expectations when exploring unfamiliar wine regions.
Fundamentally, the quality of wine hinges on ripe fruit. Sunlight plays a pivotal role in grape ripening during the growing season. Vines, like all plants, require sunlight, water, and a good soil to thrive. A concept encapsulated in the French concept of “Terroir”. Terroir is the marriage of grape variety, climate and soil and how these three elements combine and relate among each other. Excessive sunlight results in overripe grapes with stewed fruit flavors, ripe tannins, low acidity, high alcohol and fuller bodies in wine. On the contrary, insufficient sun yields underripe fruit with green herbaceous notes, green tannins, high acidity, low alcohol and lighter bodies in wine. Winegrowers navigate between these two extremes to achieve the balance needed to produce their desired wine styles.
Understanding and learning about climate is crucial for consumers, as it provides insights into any wine’s style. This is a topic that fascinated me from the beginning, and that it was kind of an Eureka moment for me. I first read about this topic, from MS Andrea Robinson, in her book “Great Wine Made Simple”. In one of her chapters, Andrea talked about the flavor map of the wine world, which made total sense to me. She explained that grapes can grow on delimited areas, specifically those located between 30º and 50º latitude north and south of the equator and then proceeded to divide wine regions in three groups, cool zones which will be those farthest away from the equator, warm zones the ones closest to the equator, and moderate zones in the happy middle.
Stylistically, each zone will produce a different style of wine, with specific aromatics and personality and as follows:
Cool Climate wines are usually subtle and exhibit high acidity, light to medium bodies, lower to medium alcohol, zero tannins or balanced tannins. Their fresh fruit could be intense or not depending on the grape variety. Their aromas and flavors tend to be lean and tart; for whites, aromas and flavors of apples, pears, lime, lemon, and grapefruit. Along with vegetal nuances such as asparagus, green pepper or tomato leaf. While reds, feature red fruits such as cranberry, strawberry, red cherry and raspberry and herbal notes such as green pepper and mint.
Moderate Climate wines offer more substance than those from the first group, balancing acidity and alcohol, with medium to full bodies, some oak notes and medium to heavy tannins. The increased sunlight in these regions results in ripe, juicy whites with aromas of apricots, peaches and melons. And reds with flavors of black fruits like cherries, plums and blackberries.
Warm Climate Wines are usually luscious and bolder, characterized by overripe and cooked fruit flavors, big bodies, high alcohol content and low acidity levels. Though this can be altered by the winemaker adding tartaric acid. Tannins range from medium to heavy depending on the grape variety and or winemaking intent. Warm climate wines are usually round and big, whites exuding very tropical notes of mango, pineapple, papaya, banana, guava and passion fruit. While reds offer aromas and flavors of cooked black or raisined fruits, including figs, prunes, raisins, stewed blackberries, etc.
But latitude alone does not solely determine climate, since mesoclimate (regional climate) and microclimate (the climate in the canopy or row of vines) may also play a pivotal role. It’s not unusual to see wines made from grapes from the same plot that taste completely different, because of their different microclimates. Factors influencing ripeness in grapes include solar radiation and heat accumulation. Solar radiation is key to an optimal photosynthesis process, and important from bloom to harvest. Specific temperatures are required so that certain varieties can develop their color, flavor, aromas, polyphenols and tannins.
In normal times, vines rest during the winter with their cycle kicking off when the temperatures reach 50º Fh. This is why frost can be so damaging, lower temperatures than 50º Fh during flowering or setting can seriously affect yields and disrupt the whole process.
Heat accumulation from the soils reflects heat onto vines, and aids flowering, maturation and ripening. Topography, as well as orientation, are crucial. In cool climates such as Germany’s Mosel, south facing slopes maximize sun exposure. Proximity to large bodies of water moderates temperatures, as rivers reflect sunlight, slightly increasing temperatures sometimes by 1º or 2ºFh. Oceans, on the other hand, provide cool breezes, refreshing vineyards, as found in Casablanca, (Chile) or Carneros, (California).
Elevation also influences climate, higher altitude, like in Mendoza and Salta in Argentina can make all the difference, since temperatures go down the higher we go up. No wonder Nicolas Catena experimented planting malbec at different altitudes, always looking to find the ideal spot that will make the most elegant wine. Local winds play a dual role, reducing excessive humidity, eliminating extra moisture and circulating air, preventing fungal diseases; yet overly strong winds can also shut down photosynthesis as well as break shoots, flowers and fruit.
Grape variety selection aligned with climate and site conditions is paramount, as not all grapes thrive in every climate. Some of them thrive in cool zones, and don’t do well in warm zones, while others need the hot/ mediterranean climates to fully mature and express themselves. In general most grapes mature within temperatures that go from 55º to 72º Fh. Some varieties require warmth during the day but prefer cool nights, while others do better when it’s warm both during the day and at night. Cool climates will favor varieties such as Müller Thurgau, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Noir (the only red that likes coolness), Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Moderate weather favors varieties such as Cabernet Franc, Sémillon, Tempranillo, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier. While warm weather varieties usually require extra warmth, such as in the cases of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignane and Zinfandel.
Ultimately, climate variability within a region profoundly impacts wine styles. Burgundy's cooler, less sunny conditions yield a markedly different Pinot Noir compared to sunnier, warmer Carneros. Some grape varieties thrive in cool climates but excel in warm vintages. Thus, beyond regional or local climate, annual weather patterns during the growing season significantly influence wine quality, from rain timing and quantity to temperature fluctuations. The length of the growing season also varies according to climate, for example in moderate zones, it goes from 170 to 190 days, while in warm and hot zones, the growing season is shorter, usually up to 140 days, and in cool zones, is longer, sometimes lasting up to 220 days.
Before harvest, growers monitor grape acidity and sugar levels closely, adjusting harvest times as needed to maximize flavor concentration while preserving freshness. In some vineyards, this will require the harvest to start at different times, all to obtain “optimal ripeness” or the best raw material, to make exceptional wines.
Cheers!, Silvina.
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