Crushed

Wine and spirit makers have dealt with climate and the vicissitudes of weather for centuries.

The French word terroir denotes the elements – soil, microclimate, drainage, angle of sunlight and others – that influence how grapes grow in vineyards. These variables determine what varieties will grow best and shape the character of the resulting wine. Climate has always had a major influence on wine. The last era of global warming, some 800 years ago, corresponded with flourishing viticulture in England. The climates in France and California form their wines’ distinctive attributes.

Those who cultivate grains and grapes and turn them into wine and spirits must adapt their methods to unpredictable events – including heat waves, wildfires, insect infestations, disease, and random cycles of drought and torrential rain.

In the United States, wholesale wine and spirit activity brought in $120 billion in 2021, while the global tally surpassed $500 billion. That could reach $735 billion by 2025. The alcoholic beverage industry – from large multinationals to small companies – strives to adapt to climate change, and to...