What industry will be the first to fall victim to climate change? Some say it happened over 600 years ago.
When the Norman Conquest of 1066 established French feudal aristocracy in the British Isles, the invaders brought with them their love of winemaking. The technique flourished in the climatic conditions of the Medieval Warm Period, a period of unusually warm temperatures between 950 and 1250 that allowed vineyards to spread across the well-drained chalky soils of southern England. But this warm climate gave way to a period of extreme cold known as the Little Ice Age, which lasted until the 19th century. As the climate cooled, English viticulture collapsed.
For winemakers, this is a worrying example. Vines are notoriously sensitive to subtle changes in topography and climate. Discerning palates (of which I am not one) are said to be able to detect subtle environmental influences that show up in a bottle of wine: whether the winter was warm or cold, whether the harvest was wet or dry, whether the vines were grown on a north- or south-facing slope.
