London May 7, 2019 – A temperature crisis for world wine could arrive fifty years earlier than previously thought, says top French climate change authority, Patrice Geoffron. The economic consequences of this scenario will be so grave that they will test the world socio-economic order, says M Geoffron, Director of the Energy-Climate team at Paris-Dauphine University.
Mr Geoffron’s comments are contained in a exclusive study carried out for the first Vinexpo Symposium, ‘Act for Change’ on May 14 in which he examines the consequences of climate change for the world wine business.
Referring directly to climate change in Britain, M Geoffron questions the ‘myth of future Eldorados’.
He says: ‘Although new areas conducive to wine-growing are emerging (the south of Great Britain, for example) suggestions of future Eldorados deserve to be critically examined…’ He cites:
• traditional regions adapting while improving their wines leading to increased competition
• uncertain global demand both of volume and consumer expectations
• in a more unstable global economy there is no guarantee that new production areas will become firmly established.
The study - entitled ‘In 2050 what kind of world will we be drinking in? – states that if the Paris Agreement fails, the world could face a second temperature increase as early as 2050, i.e. significantly sooner than 2100.
Questioning demand for wine in 2050 he says that Millennials’ taste for wine is unclear and they are showing less interest. Even though their consumption of rosé has rising 30% since the beginning of the century, it does not compensate for declining consumption among baby boomers in mature markets.
With a reference to whisky, M Geoffron adds, ‘As other alcoholic beverages will also be affected by the vagaries of the weather (the effects on barley will impact beer and whisky) this could lead to a major reshuffle’.
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Vinexpo Symposium/2
Christophe Navarre, Chairman of Vinexpo, stresses that the Symposium is the first of its kind and revolves around the theme of climate change, which affects every stakeholder in the wine arena. He adds, ‘Vinexpo’s strength is its ability to bring them all together and introduce them to authorities from across the continents’.
The Symposium’s three main sessions, followed by round-table discussions about the practical solutions to the problems, focus on: the impact of climate change on global vineyards; the impact of climate change on vineyard management and winemaking, and the impact of climate change on the wine economy.
About Vinexpo
Since its establishment in Bordeaux in 1981, on the initiative of Bordeaux Gironde’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vinexpo has been a leading organizer of events for the wine and spirits industry. In 38 years, Vinexpo has developed a unique understanding of the market and an extensive network of key distributors around the world. The brand currently runs exhibitions in five set locations (Bordeaux, Hong Kong, New York, and soon Shanghai and Paris), and the touring event Vinexpo Explorer. Every year, the Group also publishes the Vinexpo/IWSR Report, which is the most comprehensive industry survey on the global consumption of wine and spirits.
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