This cold-weather country, until now relatively untouched by climate change, is starting to warm, a new study reveals.
While Italy and Spain face a steady rise in temperatures, reaching 45°C or more in the summer months, New Zealand has been able to take advantage of its fortunately cooler climate and the freshness it brings to the country’s wines.
Surrounded by sea on all sides and with an average annual rainfall of between 600ml and 1,600ml, New Zealand and its vineyards have long benefited from these ideal conditions, which have produced wines that are highly desirable. In this world.
However, a recently published study suggests that the country may not be as immune to the effects of climate change as previously thought.
Data from Statistics NZ shows sea temperatures in New Zealand are rising two to three times faster than the global average.
According to the study, sea surface temperatures have increased by an average of 0.16 to 0.26 degrees Celsius every 10 years since 1982, and by 0.19 to 0.34 degrees Celsius in coastal waters.
Compared to data from the previous 20 years, New Zealand has experienced twice the global average sea surface warming rate of 0.18C per decade, and the Chatham Rise – an underwater area to the east of New Zealand – has warmed three times. World average.
“New Zealand sits between the Pacific, Tasman Sea and Southern Oceans; all three have significant warming, so we get heat from all directions,” explains National Institute of Water and Senior Scientist Matt Pinkerton. Atmosphere.
“Since we are surrounded by many seas, [pensábamos] That we are partially protected from the effects of warming. These are [datos] They say it’s not true.”
Unfortunately, what happens at sea won’t happen at sea, as New Zealanders may feel the effects of ocean warming on land, with ocean activity dictating much of the country’s weather.
While the new figures may be shocking, the New Zealand wine industry has been working for some time to protect itself and its star grape against global warming, notably through the Bragato Research Institute’s “Sauvignon Blanc: 2.0” project.
The project has one goal: to increase the diversity of Sauvignon Blanc strains in New Zealand. Researchers aim to develop 12,000 new varieties of Sauvignon Blanc that are more resistant to climate change.
“Most New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is a single clone. We were lucky to find a genotype that worked well here, so it spread widely across the country,” explains Dr Darrell Lissamore from the excited company. We have plenty of supplies” at the end of the project.
Lisamore explained For DB The project has so far produced 4,000 vines, and several top New Zealand wine producers are willing to partner with the company to plant these vines in their gardens.
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