Paper: The Effects of Climate Change on the Quality of Chile’s Maipo Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Wines

Abstract:

This study explores the relationship between climate change and the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Chile’s Maipo Valley based on data corresponding to the 1983-2021 period. Although the region has experienced increasing temperatures and diminishing rainfall levels, the quality of its cabernet, as measured by Wine Spectator ratings, has improved steadily. This finding is probably explained by technological improvements and adaptation techniques combined with the fact that climate change, while noticeable, has left all the key weather variables within the acceptable range for wine production. The study also highlights the importance of: (i) incorporating extreme temperatures (not only averages) and cumulative rainfall in climate change-wine quality models; (ii) relying on weather data from all three grapevine cycle seasons, that is, the winter season, the growing season, and the harvest season, instead of only data from the growing season; and (iii) the necessity of adding fixed effects (wineries) to the models.  

Keywords: Maipo Valley wines; wine ratings; climate change; weather effects; Chilean wines; South American wines; Cabernet Sauvignon 

Citation: Charlin, Ventura & Cifuentes, Arturo. (2023). The Effects of Climate Change on the Quality of Chile's Maipo Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Wines. 10.13140/RG.2.2.29993.77929. 

Fecha de Publicación (online/ahead of print): Próximamente

Revista: Journal of Wine Research

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.29993.77929