{"id":8794,"date":"2016-11-03T18:32:02","date_gmt":"2016-11-03T22:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/the-end-of-wine-say-it-aint-so\/"},"modified":"2016-11-03T18:32:02","modified_gmt":"2016-11-03T22:32:02","slug":"the-end-of-wine-say-it-aint-so","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/the-end-of-wine-say-it-aint-so\/","title":{"rendered":"The End of Wine? Say It Ain\u2019t So!"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 1976, at a blind tasting held in Paris, some of France\u2019s wine elites judged California wines to be superior to their French counterparts[i]<\/a>. This \u201csip heard around the world\u201d changed the trajectory of Californian wines, turning it from a cottage industry into a multi-billion dollar, international powerhouse.<\/p>\n

\"wine7\"<\/a>
Sonoma Valley vineyard<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Today, the California wine industry produces nearly 4 million grapes annually, while employing nearly 800,000 Americans and generating $114 billion dollars in annual economic value. The industry attracts nearly 24 million tourists to the state (who then spend over $7 billion) and sells 229 million cases nationally[ii]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sonoma Valley (located just north of San Francisco) is famous for its rolling hills of award winning wineries and vineyards. One of the reasons the region has been so successful at producing unique and unusual wines, even within California, is the climate. The hallmarks of this climate are a thick layer of coastal fog and a constant, perfect temperature. But as climate change hits the state, that climate has started to change \u2013 to a dry, arid and unseasonably warm one.<\/p>\n

\"Tasting<\/a>
Tasting room at Joseph Phelps Vineyards<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the most famous wineries in this region is Joseph Phelps Vineyards, which was included on the Wine & Spirits Top 100 Wineries of the Year for 2016[iii]<\/a>. The vineyard\u2019s main location is just 6 miles from the Pacific Ocean because of the specific features of the air (\u201cearly morning summer fog is mitigated by cool afternoon breezes coming off San Pablo Bay\u201d[iv]<\/a>). In addition, Joseph Phelps established the venerable French tradition of go\u00fbte de terroir (taste of the soil) which includes \u201cnot just the soil, but also the rainfall, drainage, exposure and climate specific to a give [sic] site.\u201d[v]<\/a><\/p>\n

Moving forward, climate change will have a massive impact on Joseph Phelps Vineyards and the California wine industry as a whole.<\/p>\n