Dealcoholisation of wine: adaptation of wine processes to lower alcohol levels associated with rising temperatures

According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), climate change is expected to negatively impact grape growth and wine quality in traditional wine-producing regions of southern Europe by mid-century [1]. Rising temperatures in wine regions, driven by climate change, are accelerating the ripening of grapes and increasing sugar buildup, leading to increased alcohol levels in the wine. This shift affects not only wine balance and typicity but also challenges fermentation and wine marketability. One strategy to mitigate these changes involves implementing agronomic and viticultural practices to reduce the sugar content in grapes, thereby preventing excessive ethanol levels in wine. Another approach focuses on the winemaking process itself, including selecting yeast strains with lower sugar conversion rates or implementing must and wine dealcoholisation processes. The Mediterranean region is experiencing some of the most intense impacts of climate change on European agriculture, including more frequent extreme heat, droughts, loss of biodiversity and intensifying water needs. This is particularly concerning for perennial fruit crops like grapevines, which cover substantial areas and are increasingly affected by these changes. Farmers are adjusting their practices to cope, but many of these solutions remain confined to specific regions or agricultural sectors. The EU-funded CLIMED-FRUIT project is working to bridge this gap by collecting and sharing innovative, climate-adaptive practices from various sources to enhance resilience and promote effective climate change adaptation and mitigation.