22 Dec Papro Wine Cellars and Consulting Weighs in on Climate Change Making Canada a Budding Wine Region
Toronto, Canada, December 22, 2015 – Papro Wine Cellars and Consulting (www.PaproWineCellars.ca/), an award-winning company specializing in wine cellar consultation, design and construction, is weighing in on how climate change is making Canada the new destination for winemakers.
Canada continues to experience warmer-than-normal temperatures in many regions, and this has led to wine connoisseurs heading north to capitalize on the improved climate. Some scientists are even calling Canada the “magical climate zone” and the perfect place to harvest wine. (Source: Mcgahan, P., “Climate change turns Canada into a hot spot for wine,” December 2, 2015 http://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/02/climate-change-turns-canada-into-wine-hot-spot-commentary.html.)
“It may be odd for some to think of Canada as a major wine producer, but we’ve certainly had success in the Niagara Region, which has made us a well-known wine producer,” says Steve Papadimitriou, owner and president of Papro Wine Cellars and Consulting. “However, it’s interesting how climate change—something so global and somewhat controversial—is having an indirect positive impact on the country.”
The region that has specifically become ideal is the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. The location of Okanagan makes it better suited to withstand the effects of climate change. The combination of the long summer and cool spring and autumn make it ideal for creating a variety of wines. Gregory Jones, PhD—a prominent scientist and researcher of climate change as it relates to the harvesting of grapes—believes climate change is pushing winemaking north and allowing regions like the Okanagan Valley to produce high-quality wines that can compete with those coming out of Napa.
“The Chardonnays are really the winners through all of this,” Papadimitriou continues. “Prior to these new climate developments, hotter regions, like Napa, have been credited for producing some of the world’s best Chardonnay. However, the rise in temperature in those areas is making it more difficult to continue producing wine at that level and consistency, thus opening the door for regions like Okanagan to gain some global recognition.”
Okanagan Valley’s boost of productivity is still relatively early in its development and the fact that changes in global weather patterns can never be certain make it too early to say anything for certain. Nevertheless, wine consumption and production in Canada has increased overall due to this generation’s decision to steer away from the traditional Canadian pastime of beer drinking.
Papro Wine Cellars and Consulting prides itself on turning ordinary spaces into extraordinary wine cellars. More information about the company’s award-winning design and wine cellar installation services can be found at www.PaproWineCellars.ca.