Having just returned from a truly educational wine trip to the Valpolicella region, I was shocked to learn that the eleven valleys that are home to Valpolicella region have experienced 'global warming' since 2003, the year that hundreds of Europeans perished due to extreme heat.
Temperatures vary in the Valpolicella region, so much so, that the lower mean daytime temperatures of the valleys close to Lake Garda to the west, are acceptable for the varietals growth. That is not the story for the other valleys, who have recently installed the 'Pergola method' to deal with the heat.
Thanks to the pergola method, the grape leaves tend to cover and protect the grapes from the heat of the direct sun, enough to help maintain some of the necessary shade that is needed when the temperature rises above 90F.
Secondly, some grape varieties thrive better in the heat because their aromas and tannins aren't displaced, hence the re-emergence of the Oleseta and Spigamonti grapes. These grapes are beginning to replace the traditional Molinari grape, which has prevailed for many years.
Global Warming has changed the wine world in the Veneto and probably much of the rest of the world.Please email me and let me know what other regions have been directly affected by 'Global Warming,'
Philip S. Kampe
philip.kampe@thewinehub.com
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