Cotarella: “The climate shouldn't dictate what wine we produce.”
Climate change requires increasingly precise vineyard management, but this doesn't mean entire regions are destined to lose their viticultural vocation, nor does it dictate the decisions about which wines to produce and how. For Riccardo Cotarella, president of Assoenologi, the answer lies in research, technology, and interventions tailored to the characteristics of each individual vineyard, to maintain the balance of grapes and wines. This is the starting point of Cotarella's speech at Eco Sanfra, the Umbrian festival dedicated to sustainability, as part of the conference "From the Earth to the Table – The Value of Food," scheduled for Saturday, September 26.
Vineyard and climate: management must start from the characteristics of the territory.
"There are no longer one-size-fits-all recipes. We need to know each individual vineyard and intervene scientifically," Cotarella told ANSA. This requirement affects various aspects of agronomic management: from canopy and soil management to rootstock selection, from water availability and rational use to training systems, all the way to grape exposure and harvest timing.
Climate variability makes standardized approaches less effective and requires evaluating the specific conditions of each plot. Even within the same winery, altitude, exposure, soil, and water availability can determine different responses to the same weather conditions. For the winemaking sector, vineyard work is therefore becoming an increasingly crucial component for managing ripening and preserving the characteristics of the grapes, without relying on one-size-fits-all solutions for all production zones.
Heat and ripening of the grapes, alcohol does not automatically increase
Among the most debated effects of global warming on viticulture is the potential change in the sugar-acid ratio. Higher temperatures can accelerate the accumulation of sugars in the grapes and lead to a more rapid decrease in acidity, with consequences for the potential alcohol content of wines. Cotarella, however, cautions against considering this process automatic. "It's true that higher temperatures can accelerate the accumulation of sugars in the grapes and reduce acidity more rapidly. This can result in wines with a potentially higher alcohol content. But we mustn't make the mistake of thinking that the process is automatic and uncontrollable."
Excessive heat can, in fact, disrupt the vine's physiology and compromise balanced ripening. It's not just a question of sugar accumulation, but of the plant's ability to ripen grapes in increasingly variable climate conditions. In this scenario, emphasizes the president of Assoenologi, the contribution of the winemaker is complemented by that of research and technology. "Our job is to prevent the climate from deciding which wine we produce."
From the altitudes to the South, no territory is to be considered out of play
Changing climate conditions also reopen the debate on the geography of viticulture and the possibility of vineyards and production gradually shifting to higher altitudes. Cotarella urges against viewing this scenario as inevitable. "I wouldn't speak of an inexorable shift, nor would I rank the regions destined to suffer," he states, noting how diverse conditions can be even within the same region. In the same region, vineyards can coexist at sea level with others at 600, 800, or over 1,000 meters, with different exposures, soils, and climate conditions even just a few kilometers apart. This variability makes it difficult to make general predictions about the resilience of individual production districts.
The same reasoning applies to Southern Italy, often associated with higher temperatures and greater climatic pressure. "Even in the South, we have exceptional altitudes, ventilation, temperature ranges, and terroirs," observes Cotarella. The ability to adapt therefore depends not only on latitude or altitude, but on the combination of soil and climate conditions and the agronomic choices made. For this reason, according to the president of Assoenologi, it's inappropriate to pre-emptively identify areas that are necessarily destined to lose their viticultural potential.
Assisted evolution technologies: research requires rules and experimentation
The sector's adaptation process also includes Assisted Evolution Technologies (TEAs). Cotarella calls for an approach based on scientific verification, experimentation, and evaluation of effects over time.
"Of course, we must proceed with the utmost scientific seriousness. We need experiments, long-term evaluations, and clear rules. But we also can't be afraid of research," he says.
The position expressed by the president of Assoenologi thus emphasizes the winemaking industry's resilience to vineyard knowledge and the development of tools capable of addressing varying climate conditions. The goal is to address the agronomic factors that influence ripening, without considering a uniform change in wines or a widespread migration of production as inevitable. For Cotarella, quality depends on the ability to understand the differences between terroirs and translate them into targeted technical choices. "Today, more than ever, quality comes from knowledge and science."
