Famous wine threatened, Austrians worry about climate change

Austria's leading wine-growing region is at a risk due to the warming of the climate. The people of Austria have only one demand for the new government- to save the country's most famous vineyards. Rapidly heating climate threatens Austria's best-known wine, the Gruener Veltliner, which put the Alpine country back on the global map after a scandal over wine contaminated with antifreeze nearly ruined the sector three decades ago.

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The Gruener Veltliner grape makes the dry white wine

The Gruener Veltliner grape makes the dry white wine which became famous not only in the capital city of Vienna but also in the bars from New York to New Zealand. The rising temperatures have been affecting the sprouting, flowering, and maturity of grapevines. The more the temperature, the higher the sugar and alcohol content of the grapes, which affects the quality of the wine. It proves to be a challenge to the winemakers because the temperatures have soared 2 degrees in Austria in 1880, more than twice the global average.

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The opinion polls show Austrians worry about the environment

Willi Bruendlmayer, one of the renowned winemakers said that if global temperatures continue to rise like this, it will be a disaster and added that the country's cultural asset is at a risk. The opinion polls show Austrians worry about the environment. President Alexander van der Bellen has urged the next government to put climate change atop the political agenda. The OVP policy is to reduce the carbon output but not at the cost of commuters and people in rural areas. The Gruener Veltliner is the most important grape variety in Austria which accounts for more than a third of vineyard plantings and is the primary export. Austria on average produced 2.5 million hectolitres of wine mostly for domestic consumption. It exported almost 53 million liters worth 170 million euros ($188 million) in 2018 with Germany being its major market.

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