OK, I give up. I'm on the global-warming bandwagon, too:
In North America's most renowned wine-growing region, Napa Valley in California, current conditions are near-perfect.
"You have the climate, you have ideal soils and a history of winemaking that goes back to the turn of last century. It's a combination of those things that makes Napa Valley unique," says Jeff Virnig, winemaker at Robert Sinskey Vineyards.
A subtle variation of temperatures and conditions in different places means "you can pretty much grow any grape variety here in this valley".
Some scientists say global warming could turn that all on its head.
A study by the America's National Academy of Sciences last year suggested that the area of the US suitable for growing premium wine grapes could decline by 81% by the end of the century.
Screw the polar bears and the coastal areas and the ice caps and the silly, needy children. You start messing with my wine, we've got problems.Thank God I drink red wine, which is best served warm, unlike that sissy white wine people insist on refrigerating.
Comments
Napa Valley's loss may be England's gain. They're now growing grapes there where it used to be too cool and wet. They're really seeing the upside of global warming. Now if the polar ice cap melting doesn't drown the island, we'll have a new wine source.
Three things we know about our society, our world and our universe.
First of all our climate will change. Grapes probably did not grow in the Napa Valley in the Paleozoic Age and the time will come when they will not grow there again. By that time man may not even like grapes or alcoholic derivaties thereof.
Secondly, we can rely upon the BBC to spread environmentalist doom and gloom about the coming ecological catastrophy to be caused by Homo Sapiens. Such vanity!
Lastly, we we can rely upon the warming rays of Sol to vary the warmth of this planet. Solar irradiance has increased .02% since 1675 but that increase represents 348 trillion Watts of heat energy ...more than enough change to account for virtually all of our recent warming. It's the sun, stupid!