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WINE INDUSTRY ANNIHILATED by GLOBAL WARMING

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WINE INDUSTRY MOVES AGGRESSIVELY ON CARBON FOOTPRINT

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By any measure, California wines rank among the best in the world. But a 2-degree rise in temperature could
make Napa Valley chardonnay a thing of the past.

A couple more degrees and Napa would no longer be prime territory for wine of any kind. And warmer grape
growing regions such as the Livermore valley could be knocked out of the premium wine game entirely.

"It's clear that there's the potential for really substantial problems, and almost certainly going to be some
change," said John Williams, owner and winemaker at Frog's Leap Winery in Napa Valley.

Among the issues Williams could face are warmer winters that hinder bud development, changes in rainfall
patterns and increasing pressure from pests that thrive in hotter weather. But uncertainty about the timing and
severity of those challenges makes it hard to plan.

"YOU CAN'T PREPARE FOR IT," HE SAID.

Although grapes may feel the heat first, they won't be alone. Many of the state's signature crops -- avocados,
oranges, almonds -- will face serious declines in yield by midcentury, according to computer models that project
climate changes.

Agriculture is the industry whose fate is most closely linked to climate, and California is by far the biggest
agricultural producer in the country. In a warming world, California's agricultural riches are among the most
vulnerable in the country, so farmers and economists are starting to pay attention to the prospect of climate
change.

The state grows more than half of the nation's fruits, nuts and vegetables and is virtually the sole source of more
than a dozen crops, including nectarines, raisins, artichokes and olives.

No other state comes close. According to the most recent agricultural census, in 2002, the No. 2 state, Texas,
did not bring in even half of the $26 billion grossed by California farmers and ranchers.

Other states may escape relatively unscathed, and some studies show that the uptick in temperature and longer
growing season predicted by climate models could actually be a boon to agriculture in the northernmost states..

But California's climate is already close to ideal for many of the fruits and vegetables for which it is famous,
and even the most optimistic predictions show California on the losing end of the warming stick.

"At the current crop mix that we have, we're pretty much at the optimum, so changing that would push us over
the peak of that curve," said economist Olivier Deschenes of UC Santa Barbara.

In a study forthcoming in the American Economic Review, DeschÆnes and Michael Greenstone of the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology estimated the economic impact of global warming on U.S. agriculture by
analyzing how random year-to-year variations in temperature and precipitation affected profits in the past. They
then used a climate model to project those effects into the future..

They calculated that global warming will result in a 4 percent, or $1.3 billion, increase in agricultural profits for
the country during the next century. But those gains were not evenly spread, and California may see an annual
loss of 15 percent, or $750 million, by the end of the century..

One of the biggest reasons for this is the state's precarious water situation..

Unlike the eastern half of the United States, California's agriculture is largely dependent on irrigation. About 90
percent of California's crops are produced on irrigated land..

Some climate models project the state will get more rain during the growing season, but this increase will be far
outweighed by a decrease in winter snow..

California doesn't have sufficient reservoir capacity to sustain agricultural water needs through the dry season,
so storing water as Sierra snowpack is critical. A good snowpack ensures water will be available in the summer
and fall when irrigation demand is still high and reserves from rainwater are low..

Currently, 80 percent of water used in the state goes to agriculture. With reductions in snowpack estimated from
30 percent to 90 percent by 2100, agriculture could take a big hit depending on how dwindling water resources
are allocated among cities, farmers and the environment..

"I cannot emphasize enough how critical a factor that is for California's agriculture," said ecologist Chris Field
of the Carnegie Institution at Stanford University. "It doesn't matter how fast or slow a plant can potentially
grow. In California, if you don't give it sufficient irrigation water, it's not viable as a crop."

To make matters worse, the bulk of the state's agricultural profits come from perennial plants that live for 30
years or more and are not easily or inexpensively swapped for more heat- or drought-resistant crops, or moved
to cooler locations.

Climate scientist David Lobell of Lawrence Livermore Laboratory led a study published in the journal
Agricultural and Forest Meteorology in November that used past yields of six of the state's most lucrative
perennial crops to calculate the potential impact of future warming predicted by more than 20 different climate
models. Five of the six crops suffered significant yield losses by midcentury in nearly all of the models.

"It's not good news," Lobell said. "I was a little surprised at how unlikely it is for climate change to have no
effect or a positive effect. Even the most conservative models show some decline."

Avocados, grown mostly in Ventura and San Diego counties, could see yields drop as much as 40 percent. The
Central Valley's almonds and walnuts and the San Joaquin and Coachella valleys' oranges and table grapes
could decline as much as 20 percent.

One potential mitigating factor that Lobell's study did not take into account is the positive effect that higher
concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide can have on plant growth.

Plants use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis to convert solar energy into plant material and fuel. Early
research suggested that adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere would substantially increase plant growth. But
more recent research has shown a much smaller benefit, on the order of a 10 percent to 20 percent increase in
growth by the end of the century with twice as much carbon dioxide as was in the atmosphere before people
began producing industrial greenhouse gases.

"If the negative impact of climate was 10 (percent) to 20 percent, it's possible that it would come out in the
wash, that they would more or less even each other out," Field said. "But if the impact of climate is really
substantial, such that you can't grow crop 'A' in place 'B,' then it doesn't really matter that in some places crop
'A' was growing 10 percent better.".

FARMERS GET SQUEEZED

Some California crops are already feeling the heat.

Farmers in the middle of the country may be able to adapt fairly quickly to rising temperatures by switching to
more heat-tolerant crops. But California won't be nearly as agile..

Much of the state's agriculture involves long-lived plants such as grape vines and avocado, peach and nectarine
trees. It can take as many as eight or 10 years for some of these plants to mature and begin bearing a full load of
fruit. So switching to warmer-weather fruit such as oranges or lemons is no small endeavor.

"That's a huge difference between California agriculture and everywhere else," Field said. "We're
overwhelmingly dependent on perennial crops. It means across all our crops, we are automatically more
vulnerable to climate change."

This could prove to be a major problem for farmers such as Len Delchiaro who can't afford to uproot his 70
acres of cherry trees in Brentwood and wait six or seven years with no income before a new set of trees begins
to bear fruit.

The biggest threat to Delchiaro's orchard is a decline in "chill hours," or hours below 45 degrees. Cherry trees
need from 900 to 1,200 chill hours during which they go dormant, a process that enables normal bud and
blossom development. Any temperature spikes above 65 or 70 degrees during the winter can also adversely
affect dormancy.

Warmer winters, particularly a rise in nighttime low temperatures, have caused Delchiaro's trees to blossom
several weeks late and weakened the buds so that they can't hold on to the fruit.

"When you don't have enough chill, you may have a good blossom, but the tree's not strong enough to sustain
the fruit," he said. "So then you have a large drop-off where you lose immature fruit."

Delchiaro, who has been farming cherries in Brentwood for more than three decades, has seen his crop yields
drop from 60 percent to 70 percent the past two years..

Years with too few chill hours are a normal part of a naturally fluctuating climate, and Delchiaro is happy with
a cold winter so far this year, but he believes warmer winters have been more common in recent years

"It's been more noticeable over the last five or 10 years we're getting less and less chill," he said, noting that
urban encroachment could also be a factor.

With the cost of labor increasing, crop yields declining and the price of cherries static, farmers like Delchiaro
are getting squeezed.

"WE'RE KIND OF IN A VISE," HE SAID..

Still, he plans to hang in there with his cherries. "It's just something that we know. We're geared to it," said the
56-year-old farmer. "I'm at a point in my life where I don't want to have to wait seven, eight years to change."

A rise in average temperatures isn't the only problem farmers may face in a warmer California. Brief bouts with
extreme weather such as heat waves or sustained heavy rains can cause serious problems for some crops. And
climate models suggest that extreme weather could become increasingly common as temperatures climb.

Farmer Ruth Hartnett has been growing a variety of fruits and nuts and raising various livestock on nine acres
of Grand Island in the Sacramento River near Rio Vista. This summer's heat wave claimed three of Hartnett's
turkeys, and has her pondering a warmer future in which extremes become the norm. She says many farmers in
her area have been struggling with the unusual weather, causing some of them to rethink their crop choices as
they brace for more of the same.

This year at least three pear orchards in Hartnett's neighborhood were plowed under to make way for hardier
crops such as citrus fruits or, in one case, a housing development.

"The weather has gotten so strange, and crops are so unreliable, especially when it comes to fruit, that these
farmers just bulldozed their orchards," she said.

Some farmers, including Hartnett, are convinced that global warming is at least partly to blame for the peculiar
weather. Although some are biting the bullet and switching crops, others are contemplating quitting the business
altogether, and a few are thinking of relocating.

"If we're going to get this kind of heat in this area, there are farmers who are seriously considering moving
north. Maybe Canada, maybe Alaska," said Hartnett.

For now, Hartnett is considering somewhat less-drastic steps such as replacing a few pear trees with citrus trees,
but she counts herself among those who could be persuaded to hit the road..

"We seem to be at a tipping point. People are looking toward economic survival," she said "The undercurrent is,
'How do I not lose my shirt and everything I've ever worked for?'"

WINES ON THE MOVE

Many crops will be affected, but the state's prized wine industry may be the proverbial canary in the coal mine
when it comes to climate change. Grapes, particularly those used for premium wines, require a delicate balance
of climatic conditions..

"Wine grapes are especially vulnerable because they have a sensitive temperature range in which they can
grow," said Stanford University ecologist Kim Nicholas Cahill, who studies the effects of extreme heat on
grapes.

Although wine grapes might not suffer major declines in yield, quality rather than quantity is the issue with this
crop.

Too hot, and grapes may ripen too quickly and produce flabby wines with too little acid and too much alcohol.
Too cold, and a wine's character will tend toward less desirable green flavors such as grass or bell pepper.

The Napa Valley region is blessed with a 64 degree average temperature that falls smack in the middle of the
comfort zones of many popular varietals, including merlot, syrah and cabernet sauvignon..
But Napa just barely tags the range for chardonnay grapes, which thrive in 57 to 63 degree temperatures. A
small bump up in the average growing season temperature, even just 1 degree, could push Napa into
questionable territory for chardonnay.

Of course, this same small bump in temperature would nudge the valley closer to the ideal climate for zinfandel
grapes. But a few more degrees could be a disaster for Napa. And some of the state's warmer wine-growing
regions, such as Santa Barbara and Paso Robles, might be lost altogether.

"You add another couple of degrees onto warming in Fresno, and it will become real challenging to grow
anything other than table grapes or raisins because you can't produce premium high-quality wine in that hot of a
climate without technology we really don't have today," said climatologist Gregory Jones of Southern Oregon
University in Ashland.

Jones is part of a team that used a computer climate model to look at the future of the U.S. wine industry in a
warming world -- and it is bleak.

According to the study, published in July in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 60 percent
of the best terrain for premium grapes will be lost by the end of the century if greenhouse gas emissions
continue unabated. And the picture is particularly grim for California, currently responsible for 90 percent of the
country's wine grape production.

Most of the remaining top-quality acreage will shift northward to the Pacific Northwest. California will retain
and possibly gain a little bit of territory along the coast, but the inland vineyards, including those in Napa
Valley and Sonoma County, will be lost.

"There's a tremendous amount of culture and value that's associated with the wine industry where it is," Field
said. "It would be a heavy price to pay if we had to move out of there.

"If all of a sudden, Mendocino County becomes a better place to grow wine, even if you are producing the exact
same wine there, it's not a hundred percent clear that the value will transfer immediately. It may take the world's
wine community anywhere from months to decades to learn that now the wines associated with a certain quality
are coming from some other place."

Williams at Frog's Leap Winery knows some growers who are hedging their bets by buying property in cooler
areas with an eye to growing wine grapes there in the future.

A narrow band along the northern Central coast may maintain a good climate for wine, and farther north the
coast could warm up enough to become suitable. But problems with high humidity and excess precipitation will
persist along the coast. And climate projections don't take into account the "terroir," or character of the earth;
even if an area gains a climate appropriate for wine grapes, it may never produce premium wines.

If carbon emissions continue unabated, the statewide annual temperature could go up 10 degrees. That's roughly
equivalent to the difference in average annual temperature between Oakland and Los Angeles.

But if emissions are curbed significantly, the rise could be kept to around 3 degrees. That's something that wine
growers might be able to handle by changing their vine-management practices, Cahill said.

The temperatures that the grapes on the vine actually experience can be changed quite a bit by controlling how
much leaf cover they have. Many growers in Napa trim the leaves back to give their grapes more direct
sunlight, which in turn produces bolder wines, said Terry Hall, communications director for the Napa Valley
Vintners.
Currently, growers often thin out clusters of chardonnay grapes to keep them cooler, Hall said, and this practice
could be used on other varietals as well if temperatures rise.

"I've seen a lot of interesting innovations in management. People do have some capacity to adapt," said Cahill.
"But at the higher end of the (possible) temperature increase, business as usual will definitely be much less
possible."

~~~

AUSTRALIA'S DROUGHT MAY CUT WINE VINTAGE BY HALF

Australia's drought could cut the 2008 wine grape vintage by more than half, industry groups said on Monday,
cutting into a A$3 billion ($2.6 billion) a year export business and possibly forcing hundreds of winemakers out
of business.

The 2008 vintage is likely to fall to between 800,000 tones and 1.3 million tones, compared with a normal
seasonal crop of about 1.9 million tones, according to Wine Grape Growers and Winemakers' Federation of
Australia.

"Some growers will not be able to recover, and some vineyards will be lost as a result of the drought," said
Mark McKenzie, executive director of another industry group, Wine Grape Growers' Australia.

"We think some 800 growers are in immediate financial peril, with up to 1,000 at risk over time. They are
broke," McKenzie said. Australia has some 7,500 grape growers.

In some regions that depend heavily on irrigation water from the Murray Darling river system, in the southeast
of the country, water allocations are as low as 10-16 percent of normal allocations, the two industry groups said.

The falling vintage comes after a glut that forced prices to rock-bottom levels and produced a spate of retail
stores across Australia selling unlabelled cheap and bulk wine.

"It compounds what is already an extremely difficult financial situation, where prices may go up but growers
will not be able to take advantage of that because of the reduced crop," McKenzie said.

Australia's wine exports totaled A$3 billion in the year to July, according to the Australian Wine and Brandy
Corporation. The United Kingdom and the United States are the largest markets with about A$972-A$974
million of sales each.

Australian scientists have predicted global warming will force wholesale changes to Australia's A$4.8 billion
wine industry, threatening the existence of some varieties with temperatures in most wine regions projected to
rise by up to 1.7 degrees Celsius (3 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2030.

Earlier on Monday, broker JP Morgan slashed its earnings forecast for winemaker McGuigan Simeon Wines
Ltd by 142 percent as a result of a smaller 2008 wine grape crop.
The broker now sees the company reporting an operating net loss of A$1.1 million from a previous estimate of a
profit of A$2.5 million.

~~~

AUSTRALIAN WINE INDUSTRY FEELS HEAT FROM CLIMATE CHANGE

Australian grape growers reckon they are the canary in the coalmine of global warming, as a long drought
forces winemakers to rethink the styles of wine they can produce and the regions they can grow in.

The three largest grape-growing regions in Australia, the driest inhabited continent on earth, all depend on
irrigation to survive. The high cost of water has made life tough for growers.

Some say they probably won't survive this year's harvest, because of the cost of keeping vines alive. Water
prices surged above A$1,000 a megaliter last year from around A$300.

"On the back of three very ordinary years, this year is probably the worst that could have occurred with the
drought and the high costs of water," said Michael de Palma, a mid-sized grower in Redcliffe near Mildura in
the Murray Valley, one of the country's three big wine regions.

"In this depressed situation, growers have only two choices, stick it out as long as they can or to cut their losses
and get out," said de Palma, who is part-way through a weather-influenced early harvest on his 40-hectare
vineyard.

Recent rains have bypassed the country's parched inland wine regions, and have fallen half-way through the
harvest in eastern Australia, too late to help the berries and instead causing a mildew-like disease.

De Palma, the chairman of Murray Valley Winegrowers, said he would wait to see the results of his harvest
before deciding whether to sell up or hold on to his vineyard, which mainly supplies Foster's Group, Australia's
largest wine company.

He estimated around 40 percent of grape growers in the Murray Valley who had access to water trading couldn't
afford to buy water last year, while most of the others had to borrow to do so, going deeper into debt.

Industry groups estimate up to 1,000 winegrowers out of around 7,000 may be forced to leave the industry this
year because their vineyards are no longer financially viable.

"There's a Darwinian economics going on at the moment, and the outcome remains to be seen," said Paul
Henry, general manager of market development at Australian Wine and Brandy Corp.

"One might say we're guilty of the charge of being slow to change thus far, but the experience of this harvest
will change the outlook for Australian producers."

In some regions, such as the Murray Valley, wine grape yields are down 30-40 percent.

Australia's harvest is forecast to be down on average years, which may cut into exports in the A$6 billion
industry.

Wine exports total some A$3 billion. Australia is the number one supplier of imported wine in the United
Kingdom with a market share of 23 percent and it is second in the United States.

The smaller 2008 vintage, made worse by a record-breaking heatwave which withered grapes on the vines, is
expected to push up prices and spell the end of cheap bulk wine after a three-year glut that produced a rash of
no-name brands called "cleanskins."

WARMER AND DRIER

Scientists say Australia's vast inland winegrowing districts face the greatest degrees of warming.

These are the Riverland on the Murray River in South Australia, the Murray Valley, and the Riverina on the
Murrumbidgee River in New South Wales.

And it is the grape-growers in these semi-arid areas that already face the greatest hardship, with calls to rural
financial counseling services soaring in recent months.

"We believe there are 800 to 1,000 growers predominantly in Murray Valley and the Riverland in South
Australia who are going to have to make a decision this year about whether they stay or go," said Wine Grape
Growers chief Mark McKenzie.

A landmark study by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) found these
areas would warm by 2.5 degrees Celsius by 2030.

Last year was one of the warmest on record for southern Australia, where all of the nation's winegrowing
regions lie, as well as one of the driest.

And that is enough to change harvesting times as berries ripen earlier, which can also affect their quality.

"Climate change is the biggest issue we face. Relatively small changes in temperature and precipitation do have
reasonably large impacts in terms of wine style," said Winemakers' Federation Chief Executive Stephen
Strachan.

"Wine is a bit of a bellwether in terms of some of the very immediate impacts you see from climate change."

According to the CSIRO, grape quality could fall by 23 percent by 2030 because of the climate changes, and
suitable land for viticulture could be cut by 10 percent.

By 2050, some 44 percent of current grape-growing areas would be affected, the study found.

The solution may be for cooler climate areas, such as the bayside Mornington Peninsula south-east of
Melbourne and the Yarra Valley to the east, to expand the varieties they grow.

The southern island state of Tasmania is also attracting attention as a region that could dramatically boost its
grape cultivation, with its mild weather closer to that of New Zealand than the parched mainland.

Indeed, wine-growers in neighboring New Zealand are upbeat about a future that includes climate change,
because higher temperatures are expected to make cold areas of New Zealand more temperate and better suited
to grape growing.
CHANGING TASTES

Warmer temperatures and less rainfall will also mean changes in the grape varieties the traditional growing
areas produce.

"Styles in existing regions will change," said Strachan of the Winemakers' Federation.

"Most regions can produce most grape varieties, but whether they can produce them to quality levels that the
market expects is the big question."

While Australia's signature shiraz fares quite well in a hot climate, cabernet, pinot noir and merlot among the
reds and chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and riesling among the whites may have a tougher time.

"Merlot is relatively intolerant of water stress, and it doesn't cope well with periods of very high temperatures,"
said Snow Barlow, a winemaker and the chairman of the agriculture school at Melbourne University, who co-
authored the CSIRO study.

Experts say Australian growers need to experiment with tougher varieties from Spain and Sicily. Tempranillo
from Spain is one of Australia's fastest-growing varieties, while along the Murray river, the Corsican grape
Vermentino is being planted.

"Wine companies build up brands. Whether we can convince the world to take to Australian Sicilian varieties in
same way they take to Australian shiraz, that's quite a big commercial question," said Barlow.

Barlow, who owns the boutique Baddaginnie Run vineyard nestled in the foothills of the Strathbogie Ranges in
Victoria state, said climate change shaped his decisions on what varieties to plant when he started his vineyard
10 years ago.

Even so, merlot has proved problematic and he did not produce a merlot last year because of poor quality. His
$20 merlot has won awards in better years.

Over time, different root stocks that are able to provide good fruit with lower water requirements will become
more common.

But it can take months or years to import new varieties through Australia's strict quarantine system, and three to
four years to establish new rootstock for commercial production.

For grape growers already deep in debt, that is simply too long to wait.
~~~
GLOBAL WARMING HURTS SPAIN'S VINEYARDS, FORCES VINTNERS TO MOVE
Global warming is killing vineyards in southern Spain, threatening a 2 billion-euro ($2.4 billion) wine industry
and forcing grape growers to move to cooler climes of the Pyrenees.

Winemakers from Europe's largest grape-growing nation are shading vineyards, developing heat-resistance
crops and moving to mountainside locations. Temperatures may rise 7 degrees Celsius by the end of the
century, said Jose Manuel Moreno, professor of climatology at the University of Castilla La Mancha.

Any increase in temperature in Spain may make it impossible to produce wine in lower areas, according to
Xavier Sort, technical director of Miguel Torres SA, the maker of Sangre de Toro wine. The average maximum
day temperature in Spain during the summer is 29 degrees Celsius (84 Fahrenheit).

``Agriculture will need to change, and there will be winners and losers,'' Moreno said in a telephone interview.
``Warming will harm plants that last more than one season, such as grape vines, the most.''

Miguel Torres SA, based near Barcelona, is buying fields in the peaks of northeastern Spain, where the weather
is cooler, said Sort. Castell d'Encus vintner Raul Bobet has picked a spot 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) high in the
Pyrenees for his label.

``There may be a move of wineries into the Pyrenees in the future,'' said Xavier Sort, technical director of
Miguel Torres. ``It could be a source for future growth.''

Wine makers must plan for longer to protect their grapes, because vines can keep producing wine for as many
as 80 years and will be exposed to several generations of warming temperatures, said Richard Smart, an
Australian wine industry consultant who advises on climate change, in a telephone interview.

AT FAULT

``The wine sector itself is at fault,'' said Smart. ``I don't think they have thought about how serious the problem
is.''

Heat and sunlight increase sugar levels in wine grapes, which can boost alcohol content beyond what is
palatable. Hotter weather may also curb grape acidity, changing the flavor, and unexpectedly rainy and cold
seasons can devastate a year's crop.

In Malaga and Cadiz, the most southern wine-growing regions, temperatures can top 40 degrees during the
summer months. Spain is the closest major European wine producer to the equator, making it particularly
vulnerable to climate changes.

``Climate change is the biggest environmental challenge modern society faces,'' said Jose Ramon Picatoste, an
official in Spain's Environmental Ministry, at a conference in Barcelona in March. ``Industries will need to
adapt.''

One degree of climate changes makes wine-growing regions in the Northern Hemisphere similar to regions 200
kilometers further south, said Bernard Seguin, a scientist at France's National Institute for Agronomic Research.

HIGHER GROUND

``If you are able to change grape varieties, it's not such a problem,'' Seguin said. ``If you can't, then it does
become an issue. To me, it's the most direct and striking example of the warming until now.''

Some producers may benefit from warmer weather, said Carlos Falco, director of Marques de Grinon, a
winemaker in the Rioja and Montes de Toledo regions. Hot weather in 2003 led the Priorat and Ribera del
Duero regions in northern Spain to get wine scores above 90, according to the Wine Spectator.

Regulators have stuck to practices from the 19th century, when vine diseases in France led vintners to expand
into the Rioja region. Watering grapes became legal in Spain in 1996.

While winemakers such as Cordoniu, a producer in the Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions, are adopting
automated irrigation techniques, regulators in Rioja still restrict the times when vineyards can be watered.

CRUCIAL PROBLEM

Regulators should loosen rules so winemakers can decide for themselves when to irrigate, said Sanchez, head of
the Madrid- based Spanish Federation of Winemaking Associations. His organization is developing heat-
resistant grapes in greenhouses.

``The ability to irrigate vineyards is going to be a crucial problem,'' agrees Christian Butzke, associate professor
of enology at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

``Grapes are the highest value-added commodity that we know of in agriculture,'' Butzke said. ``No other crop
can be converted into such an expensive product.'
~~~
GLOBAL WARMING MENACES CALIFORNIA WINE INDUSTRY
California will become hotter and drier by the end of the century, menacing the valuable wine and dairy
industries, even if dramatic steps are taken to curb global warming, researchers said on Monday.

The first study to specifically forecast the impact of global warming on a U.S. state also shows the snowpack
melting in the Sierra Nevada mountains, more frequent heat waves hitting Los Angles and disruptions to crop
irrigation.

Researchers from the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology in Stanford, the Union of Concerned
Scientists, the National Center for Atmospheric Research and elsewhere ran scenarios through new computer
models of global warming.

All predicted California's weather would be hotter and drier, but this would be worse if only weak action is
taken to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases contributing to warming the planet.

"We are already in a situation where we have seen some warming and we have seen some impacts," said
Carnegie's Christopher Field, who led the study.

"If we stay on higher emissions trajectory, there will be consequences over the coming decades that are truly,
truly serious and something I think reasonable people would be doing whatever they could to avoid," he said in
a telephone interview.

Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Field and colleagues described the impact
based on scenarios devised by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

One forecast, the so-called high emissions trajectory, is what Field described as business as usual. "High
economic growth, high globalization and a strong emphasis on fossil fuels," he said.

The low-emissions trajectory has slightly lower economic growth with industries shifted from factories toward
service industries and information technology.

QUADRUPLED EMISSIONS

Under the highest-emissions forecast, carbon emissions by the end of the century will be 28 billion tons of
carbon per year -- about four times the current rate of 6 billion to 7 billion tons a year. The low-emission
scenario forecasts the emissions would stay at the current level.

"By the end of the century under the (best) scenario, heat waves and extreme heat in Los Angeles quadruple in
frequency while heat-related mortality increases two to three times; alpine/subalpine forests are reduced by 50
percent to 75 percent and Sierra snowpack is reduced 30 percent to 70 percent," Field and his colleagues wrote.

Under the worst scenario, heat waves in Los Angeles are six to eight times more frequent, with up to seven
times as many heat-related deaths as now. The Sierra snowpack falls by 90 percent.
This could "fundamentally disrupt California's water rights system," the researchers wrote.

They estimated that the $3.8 billion a year dairy industry and the $3.2 billion dollar grape industry would be
especially vulnerable.

California, which has taken stronger action than other states to reduce emissions, for example with strict
requirements for vehicles, cannot save itself, Field said.

"California has something like 2 percent of the world's total global greenhouse emissions," he noted.

"Even if California were to aggressively adopt emissions controls, global climate wouldn't respond to that
directly. But if California is proactive, that could inspire the rest of the U.S. to be proactive, which could inspire
the rest of the world, and you would see a domino effect."
~~~

PINOT IMPOSSIBLE IN BURGUNDY OVER NEXT 50 YEARS

The world is going to heat to such an extent that Burgundy may no longer be able to grow Pinot Noir, a
conference heard last week.

Wine character as we know it today is on the verge of radical change, world experts on global warming and
vines told the first World Conference on Global Warming and Wine held in Barcelona on March 24-25.

According to authoritative computer climate models, over the next 50 years Bordeaux is set to rise by 1.2C,
Napa by 1.2C, Barolo 1.4C, Rioja, where water is already an issue, by 1.3C, Portugal – which is already up
2.9C over the last 50 years - by 2C. The list of 50 locations had been compiled from global research presented
by climatologist Gregory Jones from Southern Oregon University.

Led by Bernard Seguin, a global bioclimatologist based at France's national agricultural institute (INRA) in
Avignon, scientists defined other regions where temperatures are already near top of the range for the grape
varieties that over the past centuries of viticulture have been found to work best there. Drought is also a growing
problem.

These include Penedes and La Mancha in Spain, Chianti and Southern Italy, Southern France, Hunter Valley in
Australia, parts of Chile and the Central Valley of California.

Southern Hemisphere temperatures in vineyards in New Zealand, southern Australia, parts of Chile and South
Africa will rise more slowly due to more water, and less land mass.

The changes in temperature will have a variety of effects on viticulture. Some reds may lose color, some wines
will lose varietal flavor, some whites may disappear, said renowned Australian viticulturalist Richard Smart.
'The effect will be profound,' he said.

Smart also drew attention to the dangers of vine infestation as temperatures rose, particularly in the case of the
glassy-winged sharpshooter, which spreads the fatal Pierce's Disease, and the aphid hyalestes obsoletus, which
spreads a phytoplasma disease called Bois Noir. Higher temperatures mean both insects will be able to survive
winters and move further. Hyalestes Obsoletus has recently been found in German vines.
The point was made that while it might seem almost trivial to draw attention to the dangers of global warming
to the wine industry when so many staple crops were threatened, the vine's extreme sensitivity to climate made
it 'the most direct and striking example of global warming' as Seguin put it.

The conference called on governments to take heed of the warning signals and to invest in grapevine breeding
programmes to find varieties that will work in hotter temperatures, as well as improved irrigation systems, Greg
Jones said.

Above all, the there are no certainties except for the fact of global warming. While we are not sure of the effects
of hotter temperatures we know it will have a profound effect on vines.

Jones pointed out that 'although the changes are only a few degrees centigrade, that is all that exists at the
moment between the regions.'

Taking the Mean July Temperature of various regions he showed how their viticultural character would change
if you add 2degreesC.

Santa Maria, with a MJT of 17.3C would become Napa, at 19.3, St Helena at 21.7C would become Stockton at
23.5C, Healdsburg would become Modesto, and Fresno, Bakersfield.

~~~

WINE IN THE TIME of GLOBAL WARMING

Global warming is no laughing matter

Moreover, despite former U.S. Vice President Al Gore’s reference to global warming as an “inconvenient
truth,” according to scientists throughout the world, the truth can no longer be ignored and it most definitely
will hurt us.

The earth is indeed getting warmer and the issue of global warming, or, more correctly, climate change, has
been brought to the forefront of the public’s attention. Numerous governmental agencies and researchers have
published reports on the crisis, making the message difficult to disregard. The scientific projections are dire and
threaten to negatively impact the planet as we know it. The wine industry is not immune and several serious
consequences are predicted for the wine regions of the world, as climate change jeopardizes their ability to grow
quality fruit.

CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH and PROJECTIONS

As they say, there is nothing new under the sun. In this case, it might be interpreted quite literally. Historically,
climate change isn’t novel; the Earth’s climate has changed dramatically before as evidenced by reports of
thriving English vineyards back in the 1200s (Weise 2006). The difference is that the change is no longer a
natural phenomenon. Rather, today’s change in average temperature is primarily linked to human activities,
which have resulted in an increase in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, notably CO2 (IPCC
2001). More specifically, since 1970, carbon emissions have risen 30% over pre-industrial revolution levels,
due to the combustion of fossil fuels, along with changes in land use and the release of aerosols into the
environment (Pew 2004). Generally, scientists have found that average temperature increased 1oF over the past
100 years (IPCC 2001).

Looking ahead, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s most recent projections predict a shift
between 2oC and 4.5oC, with an average global daily temperature rise of 3oC by 2100 (Warren 2006). These
newer predictions are more precise than their previous forecast of 1.4 oC - 5.8oC, but are still substantial
(IPCC). Data from Jones et.al. show the Bordeaux and Napa Valley regions each increasing by 1.2oC and
Portugal increasing as much as 2oC over the next 50 years (2005a). Expectations include hotter summers for
Europe and North Africa, along with altered patterns of rainfall (Gilby 2006).

Scientists advise that if greenhouse gas levels are stabilized to 400 parts per million, some of the temperature
increase can be avoided (Warren 2006). In fact, the IPCC forecast notes that the rise could be held to 2oC, if
greenhouse gases remained at current levels (ibid). However, studies have found that proposed efforts to reduce
in greenhouse gases would likely result in a fall in real wages (ibid). Yet, even remaining at current emissions
will have an impact. Field, et.al. specifically measured the effect of climate change on California and looked at
both best (current level emissions) and worst (quadrupled emissions) scenarios (Fox 2004). Even in the best
case, Field expected a fourfold increase in the frequency of heat waves and extreme heat in places such as Los
Angeles, with mortality figures increased double to triple the number seen today (ibid).

IMPACT ON THE WINE INDUSTRY

While these temperature changes seem small, their affect on the viticultural industry will be significant. Grapes
are particularly sensitive to heat and need to stay within a narrow temperature band to produce quality fruit.
Thus, as explained by Bernard Seguin, “‘One degree increase in temperature is very important’” (Voss 2006).
Moreover, Jones contends that, “…climate arguably exerts the most profound effect on the ability of a region or
site to produce quality grapes and, therefore, wine” (2005a). Consequently, discussions of impact have centered
on quality as “…even tiny changes can be the difference between a $200 Cabernet Sauvignon and cooking
sherry” (Weise 2006).

According to Jones’ study, all regions are experiencing growing season warming (2005b). For some regions, the
initial changes have been helpful. Cooler climates, such as the Mosel and Rhine regions, have benefited from
the increased temperature, with vintages improving with warmer weather (Just-drinks 2003). In concert,
Ashfelter and Storchmann expect the value of Mosel Valley vineyards to increase 20-50% over the next several
decades as the temperature rises 1-3oC (Holzer 2006). Excellent vintages in Bordeaux and Champagne have
been other indicators of this positive outcome (Weise 2006).

Conversely, warmer climates have suffered from the additional heat, which has been especially true for areas
currently at the high end of the spectrum for growing conditions such as La Mancha; Central Valley, CA; and
southern France (Buckley 2006). Many wines from these warmer areas have shown an imbalance in alcohol and
acidity (Just-drinks 2003). There is also concern regarding changes in flavor profile, along with imbalances in
tannins, sugars and aromas, which will ultimately impact style and wine quality (Gilby 2006).

Richard Smart expects a loss of color in red wines and of varietal flavor (Buckley 2006). Similarly, Hans
Schultz has predicted an impact on flavor development, due to the combination of increased solar radiation and
temperature (2000). Already, in the Napa Valley, the average alcohol level has increased from 12.5% in the
1970s to 14.8% in 2001 (Rademakers 2006). Also, a reduction in the ageing potential for wines made from
these stressed vines is likely, further impacting quality (Gilby 2006). Equally important, CO2 increases might
alter the texture of oak wood, thus changing the character of wines aged in barrel (Jones 2005b).

Consequently, White et.al. warn that the grape growing industries in Napa, Sonoma and Santa Barbara may not
exist in the future, predicting that as much as 81% of California acreage will be rendered unsuitable for
premium grape growing as climate change continues (2006). Overall, White suggests that as the area of
production contracts and shifts, a change to higher yields of low quality will ultimately produce lower-quality
and lower-priced wines, with the highest-quality, highest-priced wines declining greater than 50% (ibid).
Furthermore, declines in these premium regions may also negatively impact local culture and tourism (Teague
2006).

Another growing problem is drought, which reduced the 2005 harvest for the Torres wine company in Spain
(Kakaviatos 2006). Predictably, there is anxiety regarding the availability of water (Voss 2006). With
temperatures increasing more in the coldest areas than in warmer ones, stress on the polar ice caps is calculated
to reduce the Sierra snow pack by 30-70%, which could “fundamentally disrupt California’s water rights
system” (Fox 2004). In Australia, there is concern that the mainland would receive lower rainfall (Warren
2006). Not surprisingly, it has been suggested that water may be the next “investment frontier” (Voss 2006).

The resultant warmer winters and early arrival of spring can also be problematic, especially if a hard frost
follows early spring budding (Voss 2006). Further, there is a real danger of vine infestation, particularly from
Glassy Winged Sharpshooters, which spread Pierce’s Disease, and the pest hyalestes obsoletus, which is
responsible for Bois Noir (Furer 2006). These vine diseases already pose a threat, but with milder winters,
insects are living longer and migrating farther distances, thus, increasing both the perimeter of affected areas
and the population of insects available to perpetuate disease (Buckley 2006).

RESPONSE OF THE WINE INDUSTRY

Given the evidence, climate change clearly must be addressed. Individual growers can and have modified their
viticultural practices to adapt to the changing conditions. In Spain, Miguel Torres has begun using irrigation,
which wasn’t done ten years ago (Kakaviatos 2006). Similarly, a Napa Valley grower admitted that irrigation
was now a common part of his daily practice (Goldfarb 2006). However, in addition to the expense of such
systems, the ability to irrigate may be curtailed by the rise of salinity in freshwater (Furer 2006).

Other viticultural proposals have included a switch in trellis systems to those that shelter the grapes from the
intense heat, as well as using date palms to provide additional shade (Goldfarb 2006). Likely, vinification
practices may change as well, with a need for more frequent acidification and less use of malolactic
fermentation. As Europe continues to get warmer, it will have to reconsider “tradition-bound rules against
irrigation” and other appellation laws to permit changes in practice. (Rademakers 2006).

The switch to different grape varieties, especially those better suited to warm weather, has also been proposed
(Goldfarb 2006). Ashenfelter and Storchmann further recognize the need to breed more heat-resistant grapes,
which has not yet been undertaken (Holzer 2006). Likewise, speakers at the World Conference on Global
Warming proffered two solutions: to invest in grapevine breeding programs and in improved irrigation systems
(Buckley 2006).

Unable to stand the heat in hotter regions, some producers are getting out, making the decision to buy land
elsewhere. Specifically, Miguel Torres has begun to head north in search of land in cooler regions (Kakaviatos
2006). It would seem he is not alone. As Richard Smart suggests, “For wineries, it will boil down to real estate
issues…The smart ones will move quickly and buy cheap” (Voss 2006). Among areas to explore, it is expected
that places such as Maine and Northern Europe, which were previously too cold to successfully ripen grapes,
will emerge (Walker 2006). In Southern England, the total acreage of vineyards has increased considerably and
areas for quality Australian Cabernet Sauvignon have been moving south (Rademakers 2006).

Facing the future, vineyard owners will need to examine key decisions and their financial consequences. Costs
associated with replanting new varieties will be significant; but buying new land and replanting will be even
greater. Moreover, individual growers may have less capital available to make such purchases and take on risks
and could be reluctant to uproot themselves and their families. But, those who wait may find changes in land
value to their detriment. Reinterpreting Ashfelter and Storchmann’s vineyard valuations, it is likely that the
value of premium vineyards will depreciate if they can no longer produce quality fruit. Thus, some may find
that they can’t sell their land at the high price they paid for it. Finally, research programs on irrigation methods
and breeding heat-resistant grapes must be undertaken, but funding for these programs is more liable to come
from large corporations and institutions since individual growers can’t afford these efforts on their own.
Overall, multinational drinks companies would seem to be in a better position than individuals to make the
major changes required such as divesting of existing properties and investing in new land, new technology and
new plantings.

CONCLUSION and PERSONAL COMMENTARY

Research clearly indicates trouble ahead for all of Earth’s inhabitants, with far-reaching repercussions that will
impact life on the planet. Agriculturally-based business, including the wine industry, will be forced to respond.
Unfortunately, solutions such as replanting, land purchase and viticultural research, are quite costly and may
drive smaller producers out of business. Reducing the industry to multinational drinks companies may impact
diversity and regional style, which are already at risk due to climate change.

There are also important implications for terroir. The expression of terroir has been linked to Europe’s stress
and relief cycles as opposed to the irrigated New World (Gilby 2006). Accordingly, if there are no relief cycles,
irrigation use expands or both, this expression may no longer exist. Furthermore, as growers seek to move to
cooler areas, the temperatures may be more hospitable, but other climatic elements and soil types may
ultimately affect the quality of the wine. Moreover, while adaptation comes more easily for New World wine
regions, it may be harder for Old World regions to respond appropriately with changes to their viticultural laws.

Finally, it is imperative that climate change be viewed through a wider lens. Manipulating vines or grape
varieties to adapt to the changes ignores the larger problem. Solutions that seek to reduce emissions, and thus
mitigate those affects, should be considered, despite their immediate economic impact.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Appenzeller, Tim and Dimick, Dennis R. “Signs from the Earth.” National Geographic Magazine, September
2004.

Furer, David. “Why the Wine Industry Should Care About Global Warming.” Wine Business Monthly, July
2006.

“Global Warming a Threat to Wine Industry. Wines and Vines. September 15, 2004.

Goldfarb, Alan. “Global Warming Turns Up the Heat in Napa Valley Vineyards.” AppellationAmerica. August
9, 2006.

Holzer, Jessica. “Wine Warming.” Forbes. August 11, 2006.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. “Climate Change 2001: Synthesis Report – Summary for
Policymakers.” 2001.

Jones, Gregory. “How Hot Is Too Hot?” Wine Business Monthly, February 2005.

Kay, Jane. “Scientists fear that rising temperatures.” San Francisco Chronicle, July 11, 2006.

Montaigne, Fen. “EcoSigns: No Room to Run.” National Geographic Magazine. September 2004.
Pew Center on Global Climate Change. “Understanding the Causes of Global climate Change.” Fact Sheet 1:
Attribution, 2004.

Schultz, Hans R. “Climate change and viticulture: A European perspective on climatology, carbon dixdie and
UV-B effects.” Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research. Volume 6, number 1, 2000.

Warren, Matthew. “Science tempers fears on climate change.” The Australian. September 2, 2006.

Weise, Elizabeth. “Wine regions feel the heat.” USA Today. June 1, 2006.

White, Michael A., Diffenbaugh, N.S., Jones, G.V., Pal, J.S. and Giorgi, F. “Extreme heat reduces and shifts
United States premium wine production in the 21st century.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
103(30), 11217-11222, 2006.

~~~

WINERIES PREPARE FOR GLOBAL WARMING

"Global warming is on everyone's radar," says viticulturist Franci Ashton of her colleagues in California's
winegrowing industry. Small wonder: The quality and taste of wine depend utterly on the soil and climate
conditions in which the grapes are grown—a concept known as terroir.

Scientists predict that global warming will bring higher temperatures, more heat waves and less precipitation,
changes that could transform the state's $15 billion wine industry. (Wine Institute, 2004)

For example, Ashton's employer, Etude Wines, is known for its pinot noir—a notoriously difficult-to-grow
varietal made famous by the movie Sideways. The pinots produced by Etude and other winemakers depend on
the climate of Napa and Sonoma's famed Carneros region. It lies just north of San Francisco Bay and benefits
from its moderating ocean breezes.

Eventually, says Ashton, places where pinot and chardonnay are currently grown may no longer work because
the cool climate they require may no longer exist.

WATER SHORTAGES ON THE HORIZON?

Water has an enormous impact on grape cultivation, and changes to the water supply are a likely consequence
of global warming. Water is high on the mind of David Graves, co-founder of Saintsbury Vineyards, which is
developing a plan to use recycled water from sanitation districts for its irrigation.

"One of the big problems that might present itself would be volatility of water supply," says Graves. "When I
read about things like the drought in the Grain Belt this year, that’s scary. If periods of drought become longer
and more severe, that’s where I start to think the recycled water issue becomes a way to have a kind of
insurance policy."

Ashton says she and others are also starting to consider scarce water resources. "We're looking into research
that could help us become more efficient in our irrigation," says Ashton. "We’re asking 'How much water do we
need to maintain our wine quality?' We're worried that our current viticultural practices may become obsolete."

Preparing for drought is a wise business choice. From 1998 to 2004, below-normal precipitation and high
temperatures led to the most severe drought in the western U.S. in 80 years and one of the most severe in 500
years. Global warming is expected to bring on more frequent and severe droughts.

INNOVATIVE FARMING TECHNIQUES CUT POLLUTION

In addition to preparing for warmer climes, wineries, like all agricultural businesses, have a unique opportunity
to help fight global warming by storing carbon. No-till agriculture eschews traditional practices that disrupt the
soil and release its stored carbon into the air as carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is one of the key heat-trapping
gases that lead to global warming. More growers are practicing no-till farming, which involves minimal soil
cultivation and keeps more carbon in the ground.

"It used to be a lot more common to see clean-tilled vineyards," says Graves. "Now we have a lot of no-till."

Graves estimates the amount of non-tilled acreage has increased by a factor of 10 in Napa. The practice has
many benefits. It's really good on hillsides for preventing erosion. It helps water infiltration because the roots sit
in healthier, microbial-rich soils. And it naturally keeps out pests.

Fetzer Wineries, in Southern Mendicino County, uses cover crops to attain similar soil improvements. Planted
between rows of grapes are red clover, daikon radishes and grasses that set nitrogen into the soil. During the dry
months from June to November, the stubble left after mowing provides habitat for spiders and other predators
that eat grapevine-eating critters—natural alternatives to pesticides and herbicides.

OTHER WAYS TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE

"The wine industry in itself is being pretty proactive about becoming environmentally sensitive and
sustainable," says Patrick Healy, Fetzer's environmental manager. A number of wineries, including Rodney
Strong and St. Francis, are embracing solar power, an optimum choice for sunny California. Fetzer has a 40-kw
solar display on its administration building that powers about three-quarters of the building.

Fetzer is one of the Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Leaders. That means the company is working
in partnership with the government to develop long-term climate strategies. Additionally, starting in 1999,
Fetzer participated in a greenhouse gas emissions study to set benchmarks for heat-trapping pollution ion the
industry. To reduce its emissions, Fetzer buys green electricity and uses biodiesel in all its tractors and half its
big rigs.

"We have lots of efficiency and conservation goals here," says Patrick Healy, Fetzer’s environmental manager.
As a result, the company says, its electricity emissions are net zero.

In addition to the biodiesel and green energy, the winery avoids using electricity during peak demand hours.
From May through usually some time in August, when the crush starts, "we turn off refrigeration between 12
and 6—that's our biggest single energy sink at the winery," says Healy, who adds, "We wouldn't do it if it
threatened the quality of the wine at all."

~~~

 
WINE INDUSTRY MOVES AGGRESSIVELY ON CARBON FOOTPRINT

The wine business is on a mission to gauge its emissions of greenhouse gasses as pressure builds from
regulators and markets in California and worldwide to emit less of the compounds blamed for global climate
change.

Agriculture as a whole is low on the list of economic sectors the California Air Resources Board is targeting
initially for mandatory reporting of 2008 emissions starting next year, as part of the phase-in of Assembly Bill
32, called the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.

However, local wineries and trade groups in Australia, California, New Zealand and South Africa aren't
waiting. The groups, including the San Francisco-based Wine Institute, are backing development of global
industry protocols for wineries, winegrape growers and other related companies to determine their total
emissions contribution, commonly called a carbon footprint, based on the World Resources Institute's
International Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

The Winemakers' Federation of Australia earlier this month released draft protocols and a software tool for
measuring direct and certain indirect emissions of these gasses, such as carbon dioxide largely from combustion
and fermentation, methane from decomposing waste and nitrous oxide from fertilizer.

Part of the urgency for having these tools in place is not only so the California wine industry can start reducing
emissions early to prepare for the emissions cap-and-trade system discussed in AB 32 implementation meetings
late last year.

Under such a system, emissions for certain business sectors would be capped at a certain rate per year, so
organizations that emit less can sell their allowance for the difference to a company that emits more. Who
would be capped, and how the carbon credits would be traded are still unclear, according to Pat Sullivan, vice
president of SCS Engineers and one of certifiers for the state-created footprint clearinghouse California Climate
Action Registry. SCS has a certifier in its Santa Rosa office.

"Many have a vision about selling all these credits, but if they are in a growing industry they will need the
credits," Mr. Sullivan said. "The real value is not in selling credits but in having them themselves."

The Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance has been working with the registry in aligning that group's protocols to
determine how large a wine operation's footprint actually is, or how many emissions sources are considered,
according to Chris Savage, director of global environmental affairs for E&J Gallo Winery and co-chairman of
the Wine Institute's Environmental Working Group.

Another reason for urgency in getting out a carbon footprint calculator for the wine business is to contribute to
the United Kingdom's product labeling version of AB 32, Publicly Available Specification 2050, which is set to
be finalized in the next couple of months.

In what some think is a sign of what's to come in American food retailing, U.K.-based Tesco, the world's largest
retailer, has started a test of printing the emissions footprint of 30 of its private-label products based on PAS
2050. Combine that with the recent move to include a list of ingredients on the label of the Bonny Doon brand,
and the next step is obvious, according to John Garn of Graton-based information cartography firm ViewCraft.

"Because Tesco is a direct competitor to Whole Foods, I can assure you that in a year Whole Foods will do the
same thing to be competitive," said Mr. Garn.
He was involved with the creation of the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing and consults with wineries and
other companies on environmental policies.

North Coast wine companies already are being proactive in calculating their carbon footprints.

The partners of Ukiah's Mendocino Wine Co., which includes biodynamic wine booster Paul Dolan, certified
the carbon footprint of their operations early last year via the California Climate Action Registry.

Part of achieving the status of having zero net carbon emissions included the installation of a $1 million solar
power system, replacement of electric motors and lights, and investment in Clean Air Cool Planet-approved
projects that trap carbon emissions, such as a dairy biogas facility and a forest.

Still to come is a $2.5 million additional solar power project to produce the equivalent of all the winery's needs
for a year. Yet the carbon consumption value of vines is a big industry question.

"We have a mitigating factor with vineyards, and we're trying to get our hands around whether it is a mitigating
factor for our carbon footprint," Mr. Dolan said.

The San Francisco-based Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance has commissioned U.C. Davis plant physiologist
David Smart to spend the next few months looking at how much research has been done on carbon
sequestration in vineyards. He has been studying Napa Valley vineyards to compare the amount of carbon vines
themselves hold versus how much they transfer to the soil via microbes.

That information will be incorporated into the final version of the global wine industry emissions calculator,
scheduled for completion late this year.

The Jackson family is preparing a major greening of their California wineries, tasting rooms, offices, other
facilities and supply chain starting early this summer, according to Robert Boller, vice president of production
for the Artisans & Estate boutique brand division and head of the green initiatives.

Some aspects already are under way, particularly the use of best-management practices from the Code of
Sustainable Winegrowing developed a few years ago by the Wine Institute and the California Association of
Winegrape Growers.

"Individually, all the operations are doing their own things now, and this is a chance to do a big thing," he said.
"The owners have put big dollars against it this year."

One example is the goal of certifying all new and remodeled facilities according to the U.S. Green Building
Council's Leadership in Energy Efficient Design rating system. That starts with the 7,000-square-foot tasting
room for the Murphy Goode brand set to open in Healdsburg in March.

That move is part of three pilot water- and energy-efficiency programs offered by the California Public Utilities
Commission and Pacific Gas & Electric Co., including a footprint calculation by Portland, Ore.-based Ecos.

The company convinced a major supplier of its tens of millions of glass wine bottles annually to switch to laser
etching of bottle date stamps instead of toxic UV ink, according to Mr. Boller. The company also is persuading
wholesalers, distributors and trucking companies to reduce their footprints.

At the Hess Collection, founded by early sustainable farming advocate Donald Hess, President Tom Selfridge
recently appointed Operations Director John Bulleri to calculate the emissions footprint of its main Napa Valley
winery in American Canyon as well as the winery and 300-acre vineyard on Mt. Veeder.
That, plus a major solar-electricity installation next year and use of goats in mowing weeds on Mt. Veeder, are
part of a bid for certification under the Napa Valley Vintners trade group's Napa Green Winery program and
participation in the Fish Friendly Farming program.

The California Air Resources Board will be holding its first AB 32 Agriculture Stakeholder Working Group
meeting in Sacramento on Jan. 23 at 10 a.m. A webcast of the meeting will be available at
http://www.calepa.ca.gov/broadcast/?BDO=1 .

To access the wine industry protocol and calculator, visit http://www.wfa.org.au/environment.htm .

To contact the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, visit http://www.sustainablewinegrowing.org .

For details on the California Climate Action Registry, visit http://www.climateregistry.org .
~~~
GLOBAL WARMING SPELLS DISASTER FOR MUCH OF THE MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR WINE
What next? Food Security at risk.

Areas suitable for growing premium wine grapes could be reduced by 50 percent - and possibly as much as 81
percent - by the end of this century, according to a study Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences.

The paper indicates increasing weather problems for grapes in such areas as California's Napa and Sonoma
valleys.

The main problem: An increase in the frequency of extremely hot days, according to Noah Diffenbaugh of the
department of earth and atmospheric sciences at Purdue University.

Grapes used in premium wines need a consistent climate. When temperatures top about 95 degrees they have
problems maintaining photosynthesis and the sugars in the grapes can break down, Diffenbaugh said in a
telephone interview.

"The lion's share of the industry is in California, so it's a huge concern from a wine quality standpoint."
-James A. Kennedy, professor at Oregon State University

"We have very long-term studies of how this biological system (of vineyards) responds to climate," said
Diffenbaugh, and that gives the researchers confidence in their projection. Diffenbaugh is a co-author of the
paper.

Scientists and environmental experts have become increasingly alarmed in recent years by accumulating gasses
such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as a result of the burning of fossil fuels.

A panel of climate scientists convened by the National Academy of Sciences reported last month that the Earth
is heating up and "human activities are responsible for much of the recent warming." The scientists said average
global surface temperatures rose by about 1 degree in the 20th century. While that may not sound like much,
many blame it for melting glaciers, weather changes - perhaps even more hurricanes - and threats of spreading
diseases.

James A. Kennedy, a professor of food science and technology at Oregon State University, said he was shocked
by the report on the potential effects on wine grapes.

"We're definitely, in the wine industry, starting to be concerned about global warming," said Kennedy, who was
not part of the research team.
"The lion's share of the industry is in California, so it's a huge concern from a wine quality standpoint," he said.
For people in the industry "this paper is going to be a bit of a shocker."

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation, National Center for Atmospheric Research
and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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Convert HYBRID Cars to Plug-In ELECTRIC Autos
http://www.calcars.org http://www.hybrids-plus.com http://www.rqriley.com/xr3.htm http://www.eaa-
phev.org/wiki/PriusPlus http://www.hybridplugs.com http://www.hybridconceptcars.com
http://www.afstrinity.com http://www.a123systems.com/hymotion http://www.hybridconsortium.org
http://www.energycs.com
http://www.sourceguides.com/energy
`
Electric MOTORCYCLES
http://www.vectrix.com
http://www.evt-scooter.de
http://www.solarmobil.net
http://www.escooter.de
http://www.e-max-ltd.com
http://www.topmotorx.com
http://www.patente-erfindungen.de/erfindungen_fahrraeder.htm
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com
http://www.sourceguides.com/energy
`
Electric BICYCLES
http://www.myebike.com
http://www.cyclone-tw.com
http://www.powacycle.co.uk
http://www.electricbikesales.co.uk
http://nycewheels.com
http://egovehicles.com
http://www.electricbicycle.com.au
http://www.evehicle.com.au
http://www.electric-bicycle.cn
http://www.greenspeed.us
http://www.sourceguides.com/energy
`
Recharge your Electric Auto with RENEWABLE ENERGY
http://www.bergey.com http://www.bwea.com ; http://www.vestas.com http://www.awea.org
http://www.microhydropower.com http://www.newenergycorp.ca http://www.canyonhydro.com
http://wattsun.com http://www.lorentz.de http://www.etsolar.de
http://www.solargenix.com http://solar.sharpusa.com http://solren.com http://www.spirecorp.com
http://www.windpower.org
http://www.sourceguides.com/energy http://www.i2p.org
http://www.ises.org http://www.firstsolar.com
http://www.rmi.org
`
RENEWABLE ENERGY DIRECTORY
http://www.sourceguides.com/energy
http://pickensplan101.livejournal.com
http://www.i2p.org
http://newjersey.indymedia.org/en/2007/07/16623.shtml
http://sandiego.indymedia.org/en/2007/03/125432.shtml
http://neworleans.indymedia.org/news/2007/07/10557.php
http://bulgaria.indymedia.org/newswire/display/17172/index.php
`
HOME POWER
http://www.homepower.com
`
SOLAR TODAY
http://solartoday.org
http://solarstate3.livejournal.com
`
Solar Industry NEWS
http://www.seia.org
http://vegcar.livejournal.com/10759.html
http://www.solarbuzz.com
`
Solar Industry MAGAZINE
http://www.solarindustrymag.com
`
ADVANCED RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES
http://qc.indymedia.org/news/2005/10/5179.php
http://pr.indymedia.org/news/2006/08/17530.php
http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2007/03/141412.php
http://richmond.indymedia.org/newswire/display/12960/index.php
`
TAX CREDITS
http://www.dsireusa.org
`
EAT LOCAL Organic Food
and Abate Global Warming
http://foodchoice.livejournal.com
`
LOCAL HARVEST Directory
http://www.localharvest.org
`
Local ORGANIC FARMS and STORES Directory
http://organicconsumers.org
http://www.organic-center.org
`
Local FOOD COOPERATIVES Directory
http://www.coopdirectory.org
http://www.cooperativegrocer.coop
http://foodcoop.livejournal.com
http://www.localharvest.org
http://www.cooperatives-uk.coop
http://www.coopzone.coop
http://www.ica.coop
http://www.cicopa.coop
http://aciamericas.coop
`
Local FARMERS MARKETS Directory
http://farm2market1.livejournal.com
http://www.localharvest.org
http://www.farmersmarketonline.com/Openair.htm
`
Local COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE Directory
http://www.localharvest.org
http://csa2.livejournal.com
`
Please setup and support COMMUNTIY GARDENS
and Edible Schoolyards in your community.  Thank you.
http://communitygard.livejournal.com
http://www.edibleschoolyard.org/classroom.html
http://www.newvillage.net/Journal/Issue2/2urbanagriculture.html
http://urbanag101.livejournal.com
http://www.seattle.gov/Neighborhoods/ppatch/history.htm
http://www.communitygarden.org
http://www.growinghope.net
http://farminthecity.org
http://www.communitygarden.org.au
http://www.heifer.org
`
CITY FARMING
http://urbanag101.livejournal.com
http://wattsgarden.livejournal.com
http://www.cityfarmer.org/subrooftops.html
http://www.foodsecurity.org/links.html
http://www.urbanagriculturenews.com
http://www.verticalfarm.com
http://www.ruaf.org
http://www.growingpower.org
http://backyard2farm.livejournal.com
http://www.urbangardeninghelp.com
http://www.kccua.org/
http://growurban.org
http://www.technologyforthepoor.com/UrbanAgriculture/Garden.htm
http://www.solaroof.com
http://urbanagriculture.wordpress.com
http://www.soilborn.org
http://www.groovygreen.com/groove/?p=2312
http://www.collectiveroots.org
http://www.heifer.org
`
FAIR TRADE
http://www.fairtrade.org.uk
http://www.dftassociation.com
`
FOOD ETHICS
http://www.ethicurean.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ethicurean/10105243119
`
VOLUNTEER to WORK on ORGANIC FARMS
http://www.wwoof.org
book: Europe Through the Back Door; by Rick Steves
`
STUDENT FARMERS Training
http://studentfarm.livejournal.com
`
END GLOBAL HUNGER
by Organic Gardening and Permaculture
http://hunger505.livejournal.com/772.html
http://communitygard.livejournal.com
http://wattsgarden.livejournal.com
http://sarahteach.livejournal.com/1555.html
http://hunger505.livejournal.com/682.html
http://www.foodnotlawns.com
http://www.carbon.org
http://www.heifer.org
http://www.permaculture-magazine.co.uk
http://www.permaculture.org.uk
`
Organic INSECT Control
http://peststop.livejournal.com
`
Organic WEED Control
http://stopweeds.livejournal.com/
`
Local BUYERS CLUBS
Create a Local Buyers Club in your community
http://www.unitedbuyingclubs.com
`
ECO FARMING - ORGANIC GARDENING book Catalog
http://www.acresusa.com/other/freesample.htm
`
PERMACULTURE MAGAZINE
http://www.permaculture-magazine.co.uk
`
Your Local FOOD BANK Needs You
http://food4bank.livejournal.com
`
WINE INDUSTRY ANNIHILATED by GLOBAL WARMING
http://www.ukfreepages.co.uk/publish/page4628.php
`
SOLAR ENERGY INTELLIGENCE
More Jobs, Economic Progress, Clean Environment
Why be Stupid?
http://solomonintel.livejournal.com/12917.html
http://valparaiso.indymedia.org/news/2006/09/8723.php
http://thunderbay.indymedia.org/news/2006/09/24833.php
http://pr.indymedia.org/news/2006/09/18295.php
`
VOTE SOLAR
http://votesolar.livejournal.com
http://www.seia.org
http://www.blackboxvoting.org
http://valparaiso.indymedia.org/news/2006/09/8723.php
`
SOLAR Heated SWIMMING POOL, Spa, Hot Tub
http://www.fafco.com http://www.solargenix.com http://www.canadiansolartechnologies.ca
http://www.warmwater.com http://www.heliodyne.com
`
FREE phone  and Cell phone registration:  
BLOCK  Advertising telephone calls
https://www.donotcall.gov
1-888-382-1222
`
FREE OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE
http://www.ubuntu.com http://www.openoffice.org http://www.theopencd.org - word processor, spreadsheets,
data bases
http://directory.fsf.org - education, games and more
http://www.puppylinux.org http://www.damnsmalllinux.org - Puppy Linux
http://www.safer-networking.org - Securtiy and Spy Ware
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/links/index.html
http://www.gnu.org/software/gnugo http://www.gokgs.com http://msgo.org - GO
`
Free PDF Printer Software
http://www.pdfprinter.com
http://www.pdfill.com
http://www.dopdf.com
`
INTERNET BOOKS
http://www.abebooks.com http://eco-logicbooks.com http://www.storey.com http://www.countrysidemag.com
http://echobooks.org http://lowimpact.org http://www.cat.org.uk http://www.permaculture-magazine.co.uk
http://www.backhomemagazine.com
`
Proverb: A good person leaves an inheritance to their children’s children.
`
What kind of inheritance are you leaving?
`
book: SUPER POWER BREATHING for Super Energy and Longevity; by Patricia Bragg
`
DIRECTORY OF LOCAL GROUPS
Supporting Sustainable LOCAL Economies
http://solargroup.livejournal.com/14345.html