Climate change is upon us and brings with it many threats. As the world is warming, it threatens European wine production, but also brings new opportunities for wine making in Ireland.
On a 10-acre site near Wellingtonbridge in Co Wexford, there is work to be done at The Old Roots Vineyard.
Over 11,000 vines are growing in this small commercial operation, some of which were first planted nine years ago.
Unlikely as it sounds, well known grape varieties growing here include Cabarnet, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc.
Commercial scale wine production would not have been possible in Ireland in the past, but climate change is pushing production northwards in Europe, presenting new opportunities, according to Professor of Viticulture Kees Van Leeuwen from Bordeaux University in France.
“There are opportunities for regions more northward because climate is becoming warmer and people are managing to ripen grapes.
“At the same time its challenging for warmer countries around the Mediterranean basin where temperatures become too high and other limiting factors may appear like limited water resources.
“So with the climate continuing to warm up there will be opportunities in Ireland as well.”
The Old Roots Vineyard is supplying its wine to a number of hotels around the country.
Climate change means Ireland is an improving location for wine production, according to owner Esperanza Hernandez, who moved to here 20 years ago.
“We hope so, that’s the idea. There is a better temperature now then before. This allows Ireland and the UK to have better wine,” she says.
Getting to this point has been the result of a decade of work for Esperanza and her family, that began with careful research on where they might grow vines.
“We spent a year looking for the perfect place back in 2014, and Wexford is one of the best regions. We found this site and did analysis of the soil and the weather.
“The land is facing southwest and is close to the sea but without very strong winds. We saw the nutrients in the soil and the composition was correct and we decided to go with this”
Despite warmer weather benefitting wine production, she says it not without it challenges as climate change is also affecting weather predictability.
“The climate is changing in other ways, not just warming. There is also a lot of rain in months we did not have rain before.
“There was no water in May or June when we needed water so there are a lot of challenges there, but we have to cope with all that.
“There are also more tropical storms coming into Ireland, in greater numbers than before.”
Prof Van Leeuwen agrees Ireland’s weather presents some impediments to widespread wine production, but the UK has also established a successful wine industry in a short time.
“As soon as it becomes possible climate wise to grow vines you will see pioneers.
“We have seen this in Belgium, the Netherlands and in the UK. In the UK, the wine industry is booming. There are several thousands of hectares under vines and they produce good wines.”
The Old Roots company is just one of several vineyards producing wine in Ireland.
Others are located in Mayo, Wicklow, Cork, Waterford, and Dublin.
The industry is small, but the potential for growth seems significant.
