Confronting climate change, the primary concern for Chile’s prominent wine producer, Concha y Toro, isn’t solely soaring temperatures but the diminishing water supply. To counter this challenge, the company is considering significant measures.
During an event in London held in June of this year, Marcelo Papa, Concha y Toro’s Technical Director, shared insights into how climate change impacts the group’s wine production in Chile. He highlighted two major challenges faced by the country.
The initial challenge centers around the reduction of the carbon footprint associated with wine production. Papa affirmed the company’s commitment to addressing this significant issue, emphasizing its importance and the proactive stance to tackle it.
However, the second challenge, according to Papa, is intricately linked to shifting weather patterns. He noted that various nations experience distinct impacts from climate change. For Chile, while temperature fluctuations could potentially occur, the Pacific Ocean’s cooling effect, coupled with the presence of the Andes Mountains, prevents drastic temperature rises that could affect vineyards.
Papa elucidated, “Chile is a country where we are getting less rain, so the biggest issue in Chile will not be the temperature, but the amount of water.”
The approach to address dwindling rainfall in the short term could involve enhancing irrigation systems to provide more water to the vines. Nevertheless, this solution comes with additional costs, posing financial considerations for wine producers like Concha y Toro.
