Pau Roca, Director-General of the World Organization of Grape and Wine, said climate change is having a big and ongoing impact on the wine industry.

This summer was the hottest in Spain since records began in 1961, with temperatures 2.2 degrees Celsius above average. Spanish wine production has been below average for the past four years because of lower rainfall and warmer temperatures.

A warmer climate means grapes are ripening faster than before, resulting in increased alcohol content and decreased color and aroma, which can have an impact on wine quality. From 1992 to 2019, grapes were harvested 2.4 days earlier and the alcohol content increased by 1.3 degrees per decade on average. This has led wine farmers to experiment for centuries with grape varieties that are more resistant to climate change in order to ensure the fruit's robustness and flavor.