Climate Change and the Evolving Mix of Grape Varieties in Australia’s Wine Regions: Are They Related?

The aim of this paper is to assess how well suited is the mix of winegrape varieties in Australia in the light of key climate indicators and climate change projections. We use two datasets with climate data. The first one is based on locations representative to each wine region and allows us to compare the climate of the Australian wine regions and their mix of winegrape varieties with those of the rest of the world. The second dataset provides spatial climate data and climate projections for Australia’s wine regions. We report five climatic classifications: three based on growing season average temperature, and two on multiple variables. These classifications show that, while Australia’s wine regions cover a wide range of climates, most regions are warm, sunny, and dry. Since the start of this century, the share of hot regions in the national vineyard bearing area has declined and the mostwidely planted varieties have a higher share under more-appropriate climates for high-quality winegrape production. However, these adjustments have been relatively small and lower than in other New World countries. Climate change projections suggest that Australian winegrowers will need to change their mix of winegrape varieties and/or plant vineyards in more-appropriate cooler climates in order to maintain current wine styles and/or quality. The question raised in the sub-title remains. While the mix of winegrape varieties has changed recently it is mainly towards ‘international’ varieties that are better suited to cool regions and only to a small extent towards heat-tolerant varieties in response to climate change adaptation needs.