EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON OUR ENVIRONMENT (VINEYARDS IN JEREZ)

EVIDENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE Image 1. Source:

ALSO IN OUR ENVIRONMENT TORNADOES… FLOODS… Image 2. Source: Image 3. Source: personal file

... AND WHAT ABOUT OUR ECONOMY? Image 4. Source: C. Díez

VINEYARDS IN CADIZ D. O. JEREZ-XÉRÈS-SHERRY D.O. MANZANILLA-SANLÚCAR DE BARRAMEDA Jerez area comprises of the lowlands along the River Guadalquivir. In this region, Jerez and Manzanilla guarantee origin wines are produced. Image 5. Source:

The Mediterranean climate is influenced by coastal winds which produce rainy periods in winter. Temperatures are mild throughout the year with an average of 17ºC and 600 mm of rain a year. Humidity, which reaches 70%, and 3000 hours of sunlight a year are crucial in order for the blossoms to grow. Sea breezes determine the coastal climate and the characteristics of this region’s wines. Image 6. Source: C. Díez

The albarizas, the typical soil of this area, is rich in calcium carbonate, silicium and clay. Its texture allows the water to be absorbed and holds moisture thanks to the layer which grows on the surface during the warm season. Its bright white colour reflects the sun’s rays and makes a homogeneous ripening and a suitable level of sugar possible. Muddy soils, between Chipiona and Sanlúcar, have only 10% calcium carbonate and are more productive; wines are sharper than those ones produced in albarizas soils. Sandy lands, with even less carbonate, produce poorer quality wines. Image 7. Source: C. Díez

Palomino grape It is considered an indigeneous grape of Jerez. Their bunches are wide and long, with medium-size grapes. They are grown in albarizas soils and are well adapted to dry, hot climates. It is the basis of fino, manzanilla and amontillado wines. Image 8. Source:

Pedro Ximénez grape It is a white Andalucian grape grown in Jerez. It has abundant bunches full of medium size seeds with a high level of sugar. Wines produced from this grape are sweet, high quality, fruity wines. Its dark colour is due to the controlled oxidation and to its aging in wooden barrels. Image 9. Source:

Moscatel grape This white grape of African origin has been grown since the Roman period. It easily adapts to permeable, limestone soils close to the sea in dry, hot climates. Its bunches are abundant and big with golden, juicy grapes. Image 10. Source:

Grapevines are normally cultivated in rows with a north-south orientation so that they absorb as much sunlight as possible. The process starts in summer by ploughing the land. After the first rains, wooden sticks are used to mark the points and by the end of January, stumps are planted 60 cm deep so that their roots can retain the moisture. Image 11. Source:

Pruning season goes from December to January. Plants usually sprout in March and ripen in the first week of September. In this month, the grape harvest takes place for about twenty days. After the harvest, the grapes are taken to the “lagares” (a specific container where the grapes are pressed). Image 12. Source:

THE FRAGILE BALANCE OF A DELICATE ECOSYSTEM… WILL IT BE AFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE?

The climate in Andalucia is characterized by prolonged periods of drought, mainly in Spring. Land is becoming desert-like and this will seriously affect some of the main Andalucian ecosystems in the future. Data prove that there is a significant increase in temperatures. This fact and drought around the area of the River Guadalquivir could make the grape farming difficult. Image 13. Source: Spanish Office for Climate Change(OECC)

Image 14. Source: Consejería de medio ambiente. Junta de Andalucía Ecosystems fragility due to climate change

As grape farming in Jerez needs special climatic conditions, the area devoted to it is restricted. This traditional cultivation is being seriously threatened by climate change. Image 15. Source: C. Díez

Harvest for wine production now takes place 12 days earlier than compared with previous years. Climate change increases the wine alcohol content, decreases its sourness and makes the grape more vulnerable to epidemics. Plagues are becoming more frequent and resistant. The ultraviolet radiation burns the grape and produces undesirable odours. Image 16. Source: C. Díez

For all these reasons, the wine industry in Jerez, which has been developed since the nineteenth century, could be seriously threatened as the white variety of grape is utterly vulnerable to climate change. Image 17. Source: C. Díez

Not only is an industry in danger, but also a biodiversity, an economy and a lifestyle deeply rooted in this region. Without a doubt, this gives us good reason to reflect on and fight against climate change. Imagen18. Source: C. Díez

BIBLIOGRAPHY Díez, C. y Maza, C. Mañana serán viñas. Biblioteca de Temas Chiclaneros. Delegación de Cultura del Excmo. Ayuntamiento de Chiclana. Chiclana (2009) Ediciones Susaeta. Vinos de Andalucía. Madrid (1984) García de Luján, A. La viticultura del Jerez. Ediciones Mundi-Prensa. Madrid (1997) cambio-climatico-en-el-vino Jeffs, J. El vino de Jerez. Universidad de Cádiz (1994) AUTHORS Rubén Alba, Elisa Atkins, Inés Gómez, Federico Maurano, Pedro Moreno, Lucía Páez-Camino