Hungarian winemakers are worried

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 08. 07. 12:06

The extreme heat wave of 2023 posed serious challenges to Hungarian winemakers, which meant that in certain areas of the country, the harvest had to start already at the beginning of August. The effects of climate change are increasingly being felt in the domestic wine regions, especially endangering the production of white wines.

László Kerek, who works in Balatonlelle, has been growing grapes for 35 years, and reported that he had never experienced such an early harvest. This year, the harvest started at least a month earlier, due to climate change. According to the report of the National Meteorological Service, this July was the warmest month in Hungary since 1901.

According to Péter Szabó, a climate researcher at Eötvös Loránd University, the number of growing degree days in the wine-producing regions increased by 25%, which indicates that the grapes are exposed to more heat during the ripening period. In the long term, this trend may make it more difficult to produce white wines in Hungary, as the climate will become less and less ideal for the currently cultivated varieties.

Hungarian wine producers must adapt to the changing conditions and switch to growing grape varieties that can better withstand a warmer climate. According to Péter Szabó’s proposal, winemakers must develop new strategies to minimize the effects of heat.