"70% of Wine Regions Face Survival Crisis Due to Climate Change... Today's Wine May Be the Last Taste"

70% of Wine-Producing Regions, 90% of Core Regions in Crisis
Higher Grape Sugar Content Leads to Higher Alcohol Levels

Amid reports that about 70% of the world's wine regions are facing existential threats due to the climate crisis, Myung Wook, a professor in the Barista and Sommelier Department at Sejong Cyber University and an active alcohol culture columnist, stated, "The taste of the wine you drink today could be the last."

On the 29th, Professor Myung explained on SBS Radio's 'Kim Taehyun's Political Show' that "approximately 70% of all wine regions are at risk of extinction, and when looking at key regions like France and Italy, about 90% are in a crisis state." He predicted that due to the climate crisis, the climate suitable for growing wine grapes is continuously changing, which could cause the wine regions themselves to shift. He said, "Extremely speaking, wine regions could move to Finland, Siberia, and eventually even to Antarctica and the Arctic."

The taste of wine could also change due to climate change. Professor Myung explained, "If it gets too hot, droughts occur, causing moisture to evaporate and sugar content to increase," adding, "The alcohol content is calculated as sugar content multiplied by 0.57." This means that as sugar content rises, the alcohol level also increases.

Harvesting earlier because grapes ripen faster does not solve the sugar content issue. If the harvest time is earlier, the grapes cannot absorb enough minerals from the soil, which diminishes their flavor. Professor Myung warned, "We may no longer be able to enjoy the luxurious feel and taste of the wines we currently savor. This sense of crisis is spreading." He added, "The taste of the wine you drink today might be the last, so I want to advise you to savor it slowly and cherish it."

Meanwhile, the taste of beer could also change due to the climate crisis. Professor Myung said, "When making beer, malt, water, yeast, and hops are used, but due to the climate crisis, hop production could decrease by up to 18%." He continued, "The alpha acids in hops, which contribute to bitterness, could decrease by 31%, resulting in beer that might taste quite bland." He explained that the taste of beer could even change to resemble sikhye (a traditional Korean sweet rice drink).