2015年CRI Global Warming Compromises Chilean Grape

 

Nestled between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes mountain range on the east, Chile's producers have traditionally thrived in this Mediterranean-like climate.

But with temperatures rising and rains becoming scarcer, producers are being forced to employ new techniques, or even uproot¹ vineyards and move to cooler, wetter climates further south before grape quality suffers.

Julio Bastias is the chief enologist at Matte Vineyards, located in central Chile.

"What we have observed over time is that the temperatures or the seasons start to change, there is an increase in temperatures, the thermal² fluctuation³ diminishes and this means that we don't know for how many more years or how many more decades we will be able to cultivate some varieties, like some whites or some reds that will probably have to stop growing here to let other varieties grow that adjust better to these climatic changes or a new temperature in the valleys."

Winemaking in Chile dates back to the arrival of the first conquistadores four and a half centuries ago.

It wasn't until the early 1980s that producers like Spanish winemaker Miguel Torres introduced methods that have since lifted the industry to become the world's fourth biggest exporter, with Chilean wine now a familiar sight on supermarket shelves from China to the U.S. and Europe.

Bastias says if temperatures keep rising, maintaining current grape varieties and improving quality in Chile is going to become increasingly difficult.

"Basically the grapevines need heat to sprout⁴, develop their metabolism⁵ and ripen⁶ the fruit properly. What happens when there are changes in temperatures or areas begin to have an increased or decreased temperature, is that a specific variety is going to lose its characteristics. So they are notes in the organoleptic properties of the wine are going to start to affect their quality. 

Chile is best known for its signature carmenere grape, an old French variety rediscovered 20 years ago after being thought extinct, but also grows cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, merlot and chardonnay, among others.

Claudia Villarroel, a meteorologist at Chile's Meteorological office, explains some of the changes in weather conditions.

"It has been shown that at least in the central zone, and above all in cities that are more populated or have more buildings, there has been a change of 0.2 degrees, precisely⁷, in the maximum temperature, above all here in Santiago, and in the minimum temperature it has been around the same range."

Almost 200 nations will meet in Paris this month to try to work out a global accord to slow climate change. But, according to climate change data from the World Bank, an increase in temperature of at least 1.5 degrees Celsius⁸ is more or less locked in.

Chile's wine production has doubled in the last 15 years and exports are forecast to reach 3 billion dollars by 2020, up from 1.8 billion dollars currently.

For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin.

1 uproot   

v.连根拔起，拔除；根除，灭绝；赶出家园，被迫移开

参考例句：

• The family decided to uproot themselves and emigrate to Australia.他们全家决定离开故土，移居澳大利亚。
• The trunk of an elephant is powerful enough to uproot trees.大象的长鼻强壮得足以将树木连根拔起。

2 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

3 fluctuation   

n.(物价的)波动，涨落；周期性变动；脉动

参考例句：

• The erratic fluctuation of market prices are in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。
• Early and adequate drainage is essential if fluctuation occurs.有波动感时，应及早地充分引流。

4 sprout   

n.芽，萌芽；vt.使发芽，摘去芽；vi.长芽，抽条

参考例句：

• When do deer first sprout horns?鹿在多大的时候开始长出角？
• It takes about a week for the seeds to sprout.这些种子大约要一周后才会发芽。

5 metabolism   

n.新陈代谢

参考例句：

• After years of dieting,Carol's metabolism was completely out of whack.经过数年的节食，卡罗尔的新陈代谢完全紊乱了。
• All living matter undergoes a process of metabolism.生物都有新陈代谢。

6 ripen   

vt.使成熟；vi.成熟

参考例句：

• I'm waiting for the apples to ripen.我正在等待苹果成熟。
• You can ripen the tomatoes on a sunny windowsill.把西红柿放在有阳光的窗台上可以让它们成熟。

7 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

8 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。