According to a study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, Britain could become one of the world's top wine-producing regions by 2050 if climate change continues unabated. Britain's wine industry has already enjoyed substantial growth in recent years, and growers in the south east reporting earlier harvests due to rising temperatures. While British wine houses must currently use grapes adapted to cooler climates, the study suggests they may in future be able to use traditional varieties grown in Mediterranean climates.
Traditional wine houses in Bordeaux, the Rhône valley and Tuscany will, on the other hand, suffer from rising global temperatures. Traditional wine-growing regions of South Africa, Chile and Australia are under threat along with parts of Portugal, Spain, Italy, France and California.
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