Climate change forces cognac makers to consider other grape varieties
by Amy Hopkins from Environment | The Guardian on (#50REE)
Hotter, drier summers are making the French region's star grape, Ugni blanc, ripen too quickly and lose acidity
Cognac makers are considering overturning longstanding tradition and turning to new grape varieties, as the main cultivar required to make the spirit struggles with the effects of global warming.
Cognac's star grape, Ugni blanc, which accounts for 98% of the vines in the Cognac region, is ripening quicker and losing acidity as summers become hotter and drier.
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