A threat to our wine

Here in Spain, the country with more land under vines than any other, it is harvest time for wine growers.

Ten years ago, most wineries would start gathering in their grapes during September. However, climate change has caused the temperature to rise and now grape varieties are ripening up to a month earlier.

For example, the red wines in the region of Penedes are known for being fuller and fruitier than other Spanish vintages, like Rioja. Until now, experts say, the changes to grapes caused by higher temperatures - like fruitier flavours and higher concentrations of alcohol - have generally had a positive impact on the taste of wines all over the world.

But if temperatures in Spain keep rising - and they have gone up by 2C on average in the past 50 years - the wines could taste very different and some vintages will be ruined.

In particular, the grapes used to make sparkling wine are very sensitive to changes in the climate. Harvesting in some vineyards that produce cava is therefore done at night to protect the grapes from the heat and the grape juice is brought into the winery via metal pipes to further cool the fluid.