Sonoma, Calif. -- A seminar about the impact of climate change on the wine industry this week at Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards left attendees convinced that change is happening--and determined to do something about it.

Though much of the content of the morning-long seminar focused on general causes and impact, it also included suggestions on what individual grapegrowers and wineries can do to minimize the effect on their operations.

The seminar was organized by Pancho Campo, Spanish wine educator and founder of the Wine Academy of Spain. He is an internationally recognized expert on the effects of climate change in the wine industry. He addressed more than 120 influential winegrowers, vintners and media, including major names in the North Coast wine business.

Campo's intention was clearly to awaken the industry, much as former Vice President Al Gore has done with his film, "An Inconvenient Truth." He shared research on climate change that he compiled for his dissertation in preparing to become Spain's first Master of Wine.

The seminar also was intended to promote Campo's World Meeting on Climate Change in the Wine Industry, to be hosted in Barcelona, Spain, Feb. 7 and 8 with Gore as the keynote speaker.

"Combating climate change starts with all of us," Campo asserted. Likening his audience to grains of sand, Campo stressed the importance of each individual winegrower's efforts to monitor his energy consumption and reduce the wine industry output of CO₂ emissions.

Campo was joined by Dave Smart, John Garn and Paul Dolan, three of Northern California's most respected figures in environmental issues, who offered local and global insights. The presentations by this panel explored topics ranging from the scientific basis of identifying climate change and potential consequences; observed impacts in worldwide wine producing regions; pests and diseases related to climate change; and solutions on how to decrease the wine industry's carbon footprint.

"The climate cycle has been broken," Campo warned. The industry must find a way to control the emissions of greenhouse gases, thereby maintaining a consistent level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Global temperatures have been steadily increasing over the last 140 years; 12 of the warmest years on record have occurred within the last two decades.

"The amount of CO₂ on the planet right now is the highest in recorded history," said Campo, who referenced the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) statistics taken from compacted ice samples around the North and South Poles from the past 400,000 years.

Among the changes that could affect the wine business is increased ultraviolet-B radiation, which could have many results:

• Decreased photosynthesis
• Decreased amino acid concentration, which could lead to changes in yeast metabolism, altered fermentation kinetics, higher alcohol formation and changes in secondary aromatic compounds
• Off-flavors in white wines
• Increase in ascorbic acid and glutathione content.

Some changes might be considered positive, including greater accumulation of flavonoids and anthocyanins, and thicker leaves and wax formation for greater disease resistance.

We've already seen changes in climate, with wine regions "moving" into higher Huglin and Winkler indices, earlier harvests with lower phenolic ripeness at traditional sugar levels leading to higher alcohol contents, and low acidity and high pH in wines. Some wines may suffer color loss or lose varietal aromas and complexity, while overripe and jammy wines may become more common.

Diseases and pests are changing and becoming more of a problem, too.

Some changes appear beneficial for most wine regions, including a reduction in the incidence of botrytis and downy mildew due to higher temperatures, less rainfall and higher evapotranspiration. This results in less humidity and drought. Of course, this could negatively affect regions that make botrytised wines.

Growers and winemakers are adopting a number of strategies for dealing with the warmer climate. These include changing canopies and trellising to better shade grape clusters; growing in new, cooler regions; choosing different clones and rootstocks, or even new varieties more resistant to heat. In Spain, they're experimenting with red varieties such as Petit Verdot, Graciano, Durif and Lemberger, and whites such as Vermentino, Viognier, Verdelho, Verdicchio and possibly Verdejo.

Water management will become more and more of an issue, too, particularly as regions that have not irrigated have to adopt this practice.

Wineries will have to change as well. Regulations and ethics will force wineries to collect carbon dioxide produced during fermentation, a significant source of this greenhouse gas, as well as clean up other emissions from farm equipment, pumps and other engines.

To purchase a CD with Pancho Campo's presentation and help fund the awareness campaign for the World Meeting on Climate Change in the Wine Industry, visit gloriaferrer.com, or phone Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards at (707) 933-1917.