Whether you think it’s a global myth or an impending catastrophe, climate change is already having a direct impact on both the production and the character of wine in many parts of the world. Irrigation problems, vine diseases and soil erosion are just some of the production problems associated with climate change.

But climate fluctuations also affect the character of the wine produced. Rising temperatures are related, for instance, to higher alcoholic strength. A hotter climate causes higher sugar content in ripened grapes, which is then converted into higher alcohol content. Over the past 30 years, sugar levels in wine have increased by 10 per cent, leading to steep rises – to as much as 15 per cent – in alcoholic strength.

Some may see stronger wine as the silver lining in the climate change cloud, but many winemakers are seriously concerned about their ability to maintain lower, more normal alcohol levels. Not only are grapes ripening earlier, but ripening is happening more rapidly.