May 19, 2008
Bowling
Green, Ky. - A cold cycle in Pacific Ocean climate patterns could put a chill on wine producers and consumers, according to a Western Kentucky University researcher.
“If people like fine wine, they should be looking for higher prices,” said Dr. Gregory Goodrich, assistant professor in WKU’s Department of Geography and Geology.
Dr. Goodrich’s research focuses on how long-term cycles in the Pacific Ocean affect agricultural and meteorological variables including wine production, forest fires, drought and precipitation patterns.
In research published earlier this year, Dr. Goodrich and Dr. Gregory Jones of Southern Oregon University studied the influence of climate variability on wine regions in the western United States and on wine quality in the Napa Valley.
Their findings suggest that natural cycles in the Pacific climate variability may be as important to the wine industry as global climate change.
Since the late 1970s, the wine-growing region of California, Oregon and Washington has experienced a warm climate phase that has led to an increase in wine quality and in the number of people (including celebrities) producing wine.
“The ideal wine weather has been attributed by some to global warming, but our research indicates this is a long-term cycle in the Pacific Ocean,” Dr. Goodrich said.
The last cool cycle ended in 1976 but another cool phase might have begun earlier this year when frost damaged grapes and resulted in multimillion-dollar losses, especially for producers without frost protection systems, he said.
The cooler phase typically includes spring frosts and summer rains that affect the growing season for grapes and the quality of wine produced.
Dr. Goodrich said it’s still too early to determine whether the Pacific is entering a cold phase, but he noted that “if the Pacific returns to a colder phase, wine producers should be prepared for wine quality issues.”
To read the wine quality research, visit http://www.int-res.com/articles/cr2007/35/c035p241.pdf
If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact Greg Goodrich at (270) 745-5986.
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