Changes in winemaking to address climate change and market expectations

By Fabienne Remize, Director of Research at INRAe.

A graduate of Polytech Montpellier in food science and a Ph.D. from the University of Montpellier, Fabienne Remize is a university professor in Réunion and is currently on secondment as a research director at INRAe. Since 2021, she has headed the Sciences Pour l’Œnologie Joint Research Unit (University of Montpellier, INRAe, Institut Agro). She specializes in particular in wine microorganisms.  

The climate changes observed over the past 40 years have led to marked shifts in all stages of the vine’s phenological cycle, which are occurring earlier and earlier. A major consequence is that the harvest now begins in the middle of summer, when temperatures are high, resulting in higher sugar content in the berries and lower acidity. As a result, the alcohol content of wines has been increasing by nearly one degree per decade across all French regions. Another significant trend is in the wine market: consumption has been steadily declining since the 1960s and has now reached an all-time low in France, with a 50% decrease. Health concerns play a role in this trend: consumers want wines with lower alcohol content and fewer additives at every stage of production. Winemaking practices can partially address these challenges, particularly by selecting appropriate yeasts.

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