Decanter December 2021

Wine can be intensely of the moment, but it can also be very much about the passing of time. That first taste can bring an instant flash of sheer pleasure. Yet we also acquire wines that may not reach their best for many years to come, laying down a marker for some point in the future when we hope we will be able to sample what time has done to those precious bottles. And it is that latter trait that we should harness when we think about how climate change is going to affect all of us, our descendants and their descendants. When you examine the current state of things, it’s clear that if we want to preserve much of what we value, we need to take action right now.…

EDITOR’S LETTER It’s about time Wine can be intensely of the moment, but it can also be very much about the passing of time. That first taste can bring an instant flash of sheer pleasure. Yet we also acquire wines that may not reach their best for many years to come, laying down a marker for some point in the future when we hope we will be able to sample what time has done to those precious bottles. And it is that latter trait that we should harness when we think about how climate change is going to affect all of us, our descendants and their descendants. When you examine the current state of things, it’s clear that if we want to preserve much of what we value, we need…

Meet the Decanter experts SARAH AHMED is an awarded wine writer, educator and judge who specialises in Portugal and Australia. She is the DWWA Regional Chair for Portugal and publishes her own website thewinedetective.co.uk SIMON FIELD MW is the DWWA Regional Chair for Champagne. A Berry Bros & Rudd buyer for more than 20 years, he now consults on areas which particularly interested him in that time, with Champagne topping the list in France ALDO FIORDELLI is a widely published journalist, wine writer and author, a DWWA judge and regular Decanter contributor. He became a qualified sommelier in 2003, and has written books on food, wine and art RUPERT JOY is an international consultant and former UK and EU diplomat. He has a longstanding interest in wine and has written for Decanter for…

SARAH AHMED is an awarded wine writer, educator and judge who specialises in Portugal and Australia. She is the DWWA Regional Chair for Portugal and publishes her own website thewinedetective.co.uk SIMON FIELD MW is the DWWA Regional Chair for Champagne. A Berry Bros & Rudd buyer for more than 20 years, he now consults on areas which particularly interested him in that time, with Champagne topping the list in France ALDO FIORDELLI is a widely published journalist, wine writer and author, a DWWA judge and regular Decanter contributor. He became a qualified sommelier in 2003, and has written books on food, wine and art RUPERT JOY is an international consultant and former UK and EU diplomat. He has a longstanding interest in wine and has written for Decanter for many years, particularly on…

Napa Valley and Bordeaux at tipping point on global warming? Fresh concerns about a climate ‘tipping point’ for Napa Valley and Bordeaux red wines have been raised by scientists, after analysing temperature and grape data. Writing in the Oeno One journal, researchers said climate data showed a significant increase in average growing season temperatures in both Napa and Bordeaux, particularly since the 1980s. So far the warmer conditions have generally contributed to better average wine quality, noted the authors, from the University of Bordeaux’s ISVV Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin and UC Davis. However, analysis on five vintages of California Cabernet Sauvignon found that higher sugar levels in grapes could lead to loss of colour. Higher temperatures can also increase grapes’ sugar content during ripening. The authors concluded:…

Uncorked A snapshot of what’s happening in the world of wine COMPILED BY JULIE SHEPPARD & CHRIS MERCER Napa Valley and Bordeaux at tipping point on global warming? Fresh concerns about a climate ‘tipping point’ for Napa Valley and Bordeaux red wines have been raised by scientists, after analysing temperature and grape data. Writing in the Oeno One journal, researchers said climate data showed a significant increase in average growing season temperatures in both Napa and Bordeaux, particularly since the 1980s. So far the warmer conditions have generally contributed to better average wine quality, noted the authors, from the University of Bordeaux’s ISVV Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin and UC Davis. However, analysis on five vintages of California Cabernet Sauvignon found that higher sugar levels in…