Warmer climate benefits Brit wine

CNN:

As world leaders gather in Copenhagen to debate the catastrophic effects of climate change there are some places in the world, such as the English vineyards, which stand to benefit from warmer temperatures.

Over the years, some winemakers say, a rise in temperature has redrawn the international wine map.

The warmer climate has aided English winegrowers as they experiment with planting grape varieties found in some of France's best wine regions.

And many have met with some success. Chris White, general manager at Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, Surrey told CNN: "Twenty years ago with what we were growing here -- pinot noir -- people were a little bit sniffy, thinking that we wont be able to grow a full bodied red. We are now and we are producing sparkling wines which are competing and beating in any blind competitions."

White's 265-acre wine estate in Surrey in the southeast of England has been producing both white and red wines for moe than 20 years, and he says that the quality keeps getting better and better with the warmer temperatures.

"Because of the improving weather conditions we are getting better consistency in terms of quality and yield, year on year," White said.

White also says that producing full-bodied reds are easier now whereas previously it had been a bit of a struggle.

Climate plays a crucial role in balancing the sugar and acidity levels found in grapes necessary for the distinctive flavors of all wines.

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This appears to be a return to the wine production of the Middle Ages warm period. That warm period apparently did not spark the kind of catastrophe that globo warmers now predict.