Shifting Seasons: How wine growing regions in Oregon have been impacted by rising temperatures

CULVER, Ore. (KTVZ) - Wine-growing regions around the world are being affected by rising temperatures, but not all in the same way. Some established regions are being pushed beyond their ideal growing conditions, while cooler areas are becoming more suitable for producing wine grapes.

Greg Jones, an atmospheric scientist and wine climatologist who has studied more than 800 wine regions globally, said nearly every major wine-growing area shows signs of warming.

“Every wine grape region in the world … has a warming climate kind of framework,” Jones said.

Jones, who is also the CEO of Abacela Winery in Oregon’s Umpqua Valley, said Oregon was not always considered an ideal location for vineyards.

“If I was a consultant in 1950 in Oregon, and somebody came to me and said, ‘I’d like to grow wine grapes in the Willamette Valley,’ I would have said, ‘Don’t do it,’” Jones said.

Research now shows that cooler regions are becoming more suitable for quality wine production.

Oregon now ranks fourth in the nation for wine production, according to World Population Review. The state trails California, Washington and New York, highlighting Oregon’s growing influence in the U.S. wine industry.

On the High Desert, some growers say shifting conditions have expanded what they can produce.

“It became not a thing of what can I grow … it’s what do I want to grow,” said Doug Maragas, a winemaker who has been producing wine in Central Oregon for more than two decades.

Maragas said evolving weather patterns have allowed for a wider variety of grapes.

“Now it’s perfect for so many types of grapes. It’s like, what is going on here?” he said.

While some regions see new possibilities, scientists say many long-established wine regions are facing increasing challenges. Research indicates harvest in many vineyards now begins two to three weeks earlier than it did about 40 years ago, reflecting shifts in growing conditions.

“It’s too hot and they don’t produce quality fruit, which makes therefore quality wine,” Jones said. “You really have to think about how temperature changes will push those thresholds of suitability over time.”

Heat waves and wildfires are also becoming more frequent concerns for growers.

“The heat and the fires are a problem,” Maragas said.

Grapes can absorb smoke from wildfires, which can negatively affect the flavor and quality of wine — a problem known in the industry as smoke taint.

Researchers at Oregon State University have been studying this issue and are working to develop a protective spray coating that could help shield grapevines from wildfire smoke exposure. The coating is designed to act as a barrier, reducing the amount of smoke compounds absorbed by the grapes and helping preserve flavor quality.

“Tasting differences has already happened, and it’s only going to happen more,” Jones said. “The ripeness level of fruit has changed in your lifetime tremendously already.”

As conditions continue to evolve, winemakers are adapting to maintain quality. However, experts say what grapes are grown, and where they are grown, could look very different in the decades ahead.