Climate Change in Langenlois
During the last fifty years, the climate in and around the Langenlois vineyards has changed markedly.
Taking the date of budding, flowering, and of the colour change of the grapes as indicators, the records of the last half century indicate an advance of two weeks. In other words: the annual mean temperature has become some 0.7°C higher than it used to be.
Until now, the Langenlois vineyards were counted among the very cool zones, now already have a temperate climate.
For viticulture, the development over the last fifty years is very positive, but in the long term too much increase in warmth makes us very concerned. For now, we can find solutions to novel problems by choosing a different architecture for the foliage of the vines – during a relatively cool year such as 2004 the grapes will be freed, in order to allow them to get all the sun they need to ripen.
During a very hot summer such as 2003, we give them a “parasol” of leaves, in order to protect them from the aggressive rays of the sun.
digram: dates of flowering
