Knowledge base

Cool climate wine, explained

Short, practical pages on the regions, the vineyard work and the arguments behind cool climate wine. The background is general; the quotations come from the interviews we record with the growers themselves.

Regions

The cool climate wine regions of Europe, from the Mosel to Jutland.

The Ahr: Red Wine at the Northern Edge ahr valley wine Assmannshausen: The Mountain of Hell and Its Pinot Noir assmannshausen pinot noir Austria's Cool Climate Regions: Thermenregion, Carnuntum, Styria austrian cool climate wine Baden: Germany's Warmest Region, and Why It Still Counts as Cool baden wine region Belgian Wine: Sparkling, Resistant Varieties and Steady Growth belgian wine Lake Biel: Steep Terraces and a Small Swiss Region bielersee wine The Bopparder Hamm: The Rhine Loop and Its 70 Per Cent Slopes bopparder hamm Brandenburg: A Vineyard on Top of a Coal Mine brandenburg wine Carnuntum: Wind, Blaufränkisch and the Eastern Edge of Austria carnuntum wine Cool Climate or Warm Climate: What Actually Changes in the Glass cool climate vs warm climate wine The Cool Climate Wine Regions of Europe, Region by Region cool climate wine regions in europe Danish Wine: A Short Guide to a Very New Wine Country danish wine Where Wine Grows in Denmark: Jutland, Zealand and the Islands danish wine regions English Wine: Chalk, Sparkling Wine and the Cool Climate Argument english wine regions Franken: Silvaner, the Bocksbeutel and a Region Reinventing Itself franken wine region The Thirteen German Wine Regions, and Which Ones Are Still Cool german wine regions Graubünden and the Bündner Herrschaft: Pinot Noir in the Alps graubünden wine The Kaiserstuhl: A Volcano in the Middle of Flat Land kaiserstuhl wine Lake Constance: Wine at 500 Metres, in the Rain lake constance wine Lower Silesia: Loess, Granite and the Oldest Vineyards in Poland lower silesia wine The Lublin Region: Limestone Above the Vistula lublin wine region Zielona Góra and Lubuskie: The Town That Made Sparkling Wine zielona góra wine The Luxembourg Moselle: Crémant, Auxerrois and Limestone luxembourg wine The Markgräflerland: Gutedel, the Black Forest and the Swiss Border markgraeflerland wine The Mittelrhein: Germany's Smallest Region and Its Steepest Slopes mittelrhein wine The Mosel: Slate, Riesling and the Steepest Vineyards in Europe mosel wine region The Nahe: Soil Diversity in a Small Space nahe wine region Neuchâtel: Pinot Noir, Le Joran and the Unfiltered Chasselas neuchâtel wine Northern European Wine: Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Belgium and Poland northern european wine Norwegian Vineyards: Wine Beyond the 59th Parallel norwegian wine The Obermosel: Limestone, Elbling and a Border That Barely Exists obermosel wine The Pfalz: Germany's Second Largest Region, and Its Cool Corners pfalz wine region The Piesporter Goldtröpfchen: A Famous Name, Read Properly piesporter goldtröpfchen Polish Wine: Where It Grows and What It Tastes Like polish wine regions The Rheingau: Riesling, the Taunus and a Long Memory rheingau wine region Rheinhessen: Scale, Monoculture and a Younger Generation rheinhessen wine Saale-Unstrut: 800 Hectares at the Top of the Map saale-unstrut wine The Saar: The Coolest Corner of the Mosel saar wine region Saxony: 500 Hectares, Granite and a Grape Nobody Else Grows saxony wine region Südsteiermark: Austria's Steepest and Coolest Vineyards styria wine region Swedish Wine: Skåne, Gotland and the Baltic Coast swedish wine Swiss Wine: Six Regions, Four Languages and Almost No Exports swiss wine regions The Terrassenmosel: Terraces, Red Slate and Very Little Machinery terrassenmosel The Thermenregion: Cistercians, Zierfandler and Pinot thermenregion wine The Valais: A Third of Swiss Wine, and Grapes Grown Nowhere Else valais wine Vaud: Chasselas, Lac Léman and the Terraces of La Côte vaud wine region What Is Cool Climate Wine, and Where Does It Stop? what is cool climate wine Wine at 51 Degrees North: Saale-Unstrut, Saxony and the Edge of Ripeness wine at 51 degrees north How Far North Can Wine Grow? The Moving Northern Limit northern limit of wine growing Württemberg: Trollinger Country, Quietly Changing württemberg wine

Viticulture

Soil, planting, pruning and the work that happens before the cellar.

Agroforestry in the Vineyard: Shade, Water and Biodiversity agroforestry vineyard Bats in the Vineyard: Why Trees Bring Them Back bats vineyard Birds in the Vineyard: The Problem, and the Falcon Solution birds in vineyards Cover Crops Between the Rows: What They Cost and What They Give cover crops vineyard Irrigation in Cool Climates: The Argument Nobody Expected vineyard irrigation Dry Stone Walls: Structure, Heat and Habitat dry stone walls vineyard Erosion: What Heavy Rain Does to a Bare Slope vineyard erosion Granite: Sharp, Mineral and Unforgiving granite soil wine Green Cover in Every Second Row: A Simple Change With Large Effects green cover vineyard Green Harvest: Cutting Fruit Off on Purpose green harvest vineyard Guyot or Cordon: Two Ways to Carry a Crop guyot vs cordon High Density Planting: More Vines, Less Fruit per Vine high density planting vineyard Humus: Making the Soil Work Like a Sponge building humus vineyard Counting Insects: The Simplest Test of a Vineyard vineyard biodiversity insects Limestone: Why Burgundy Varieties Follow It North limestone soil wine Living Soil: Why Insect Counts Tell You About the Wine living soil wine Loess: The Wind-Blown Soil of Central Europe loess soil wine Massal Selection or Clones: Two Ways to Plant a Vineyard massal selection Caterpillars and Monorails: Mechanising a Slope steep vineyard machinery Minimal Pruning: Letting the Vine Grow Like a Hedge minimal pruning vineyard Old Vines: What the Words Mean, and What They Deliver what are old vines Permaculture in Viticulture: Breaking a Permanent Monoculture permaculture vineyard Rootstocks: The Part of the Vine Nobody Tastes vine rootstocks Sheep in the Vineyard: Which Breeds, and What They Actually Do sheep in vineyards Slate: Blue, Grey and Red, and What Each One Tastes Like slate soil wine Soft Pruning: Respecting the Sap Flow of the Vine soft pruning vines Steep Slope Viticulture: 70 Per Cent, By Hand steep slope viticulture Straw Mulch: Keeping Water in the Ground straw mulch vineyard Terroir: A Useful Word, Used Carelessly what is terroir Ungrafted Vines in Europe: Where Phylloxera Never Arrived ungrafted vines Vine Clones: What They Are and Why Growers Argue About Them vine clones explained Animals in the Vineyard: Sheep, Pigs, Guinea Pigs and Falcons animals in vineyards Soil Health in the Vineyard: What Growers Actually Measure vineyard soil health Terraces: How Growers Make a Slope Workable vineyard terraces Vitiforestry: Why Growers Are Planting Trees Among the Vines vitiforestry Volcanic Soil: Kaiserstuhl, Somló and the Taste of Basalt volcanic soil wine Yield and Quality: What 35 Hectolitres per Hectare Actually Means yield per hectare wine quality

Canopy management

What growers do with the leaves, and why it has changed.

Climate change

Frost, drought, heat and the practical answers growers have found.

The 2024 Vintage: Frost, Rain and Very Small Crops 2024 vintage europe Managing Acidity: Vineyard First, Cellar Second acidity in winemaking Altitude: Planting Higher Up the Hill vineyard altitude climate Botrytis: Noble Rot or Lost Crop botrytis grapes Chardonnay Moves North: Saale-Unstrut, the Mosel and Denmark chardonnay northern europe Climate Change in Cool Climate Regions: Threat and Opportunity climate change cool climate wine Climate Change and German Wine: What Has Already Happened climate change german wine Downy Mildew: The Enemy That Sets the Calendar downy mildew vines Drought Stress: How a Vine Behaves When the Water Runs Out drought stress vines Harvest Dates Are Moving: Seven Weeks in Ten Years earlier harvest dates wine Extreme Weather: The Part of Climate Change Growers Feel First extreme weather vineyards Falling Acidity: The Quiet Problem of Warm Vintages falling acidity wine Frost Protection: Candles, Water, Wind and Late Pruning frost protection vineyard The Pinot Gris Virus: A Problem Nobody Has Solved grapevine pinot gris virus Hail: The Loss You Cannot Plan For hail damage vineyard Harvest Timing: The Decision That Makes the Wine when to harvest grapes Heat Waves: What 40 Degrees Does to a Vineyard heat wave vineyard Can the Mosel Still Make Kabinett? kabinett climate change Oechsle and Must Weight: The Number German Wine Was Built On oechsle must weight Ortega: The Variety Warming Made Redundant ortega grape New Varieties for a Changing Climate: The Options on the Table new grape varieties climate change North-Facing Slopes: The New Good Sites north facing vineyard Cool Climate Pinot Noir: Where It Works and Why cool climate pinot noir Powdery Mildew: The Other Half of the Problem powdery mildew grapes Riesling and Climate Change: Still the Right Grape? riesling climate change Rising Alcohol: Why Growers Are Picking Earlier rising alcohol in wine Side Valleys: Where Cool Climate Regions Are Moving side valley vineyards Spring Frost: The Single Biggest Risk in Northern Vineyards spring frost vineyard Tempranillo in Germany: Impressive, and a Little Frightening tempranillo germany Water Scarcity: What Happens When the Glaciers Go water scarcity vineyards Wet Vintages: Three Sprays in Seven Days wet vintage disease pressure

Organic and low intervention

Certification, resistant varieties and winemaking without additions.

Alternatives to Copper: Clay, Yeast and Very Good Timing copper alternatives vineyard Amphora and Qvevri: The Oldest Vessel, Back in Use amphora wine Auxerrois: The Grape Luxembourg Wants You to Know auxerrois grape Barrel Sizes: Barrique, Tonneau, Halbstück, Fuder, Doppelstück wine barrel sizes Biodynamic Wine: The Practical Case, Without the Mysticism biodynamic wine Cabernet Blanc: Green Pepper, and How to Avoid It cabernet blanc grape Concrete Eggs: Texture Without Oak concrete egg wine Copper: Organic Viticulture's Most Uncomfortable Tool copper organic vineyard Crémant and the Traditional Method: The Rules, Plainly crémant traditional method A Working List of Disease-Resistant Varieties disease resistant grape varieties Elbling: Two Thousand Years Old and Almost Forgotten elbling grape Hibernal: The Secret Favourite hibernal grape Johanniter: Poland's Adopted Signature Grape johanniter grape Ageing on the Lees: Texture Without Additives lees ageing wine Low Intervention Wine: A Definition That Holds Up low intervention wine Low Sulphite Wine: The Numbers Behind the Label low sulphite wine Malolactic Fermentation: The Second One, and Why It Is Left Alone malolactic fermentation Muscaris: Aromatic, Resistant and Increasingly Serious muscaris grape Native Yeast: What Changes When Nothing Is Added native yeast wine Natural Wine or Low Intervention: Two Axes, Not One natural wine vs low intervention New Oak or Old: What Each One Is For new oak vs used oak Organic Wine: What the Certificate Actually Covers organic wine explained Pét-Nat: Bottling Before the Fermentation Finishes what is pét-nat Pied de Cuve: Starting a Fermentation Without Buying Yeast pied de cuve PIWI: The Disease-Resistant Grapes Changing Northern Viticulture piwi grape varieties Rondo: The Red PIWI Nobody Defends, and Its Second Life rondo grape Cabernet Cortis: The Resistant Red That Tastes Like Cabernet cabernet cortis Regent: Germany's Most Planted Resistant Red, and Why It Is Retreating regent grape Bolero: A Geisenheim Red PIWI That Went North bolero grape Sauvignac: The Variety Growers Call the Next Riesling sauvignac grape Skin Contact on White Grapes: From Hours to Months skin contact white wine Solaris: The Grape That Made Scandinavian Wine Possible solaris grape Souvignier Gris: The PIWI That Passes for Pinot Gris souvignier gris Spontaneous Fermentation: Waiting for the Yeast That Is Already There spontaneous fermentation wine Sulphur in Wine: What It Does and How Little Is Enough sulphur in wine Unfiltered Wine: Cloudiness as a Decision unfiltered wine Organic Where Possible: Why Some Good Growers Stay Uncertified why not certified organic wine Wine Without Added Sulphur: Who Does It and How wine without sulphites

Consumer trends

How wine is bought, priced and drunk, and what that means for small estates.

Associations and classification

VDP, Demeter, ECOVIN, Bioland and the rest of the alphabet.

Cool Climate Wine Summit Copenhagen 2027 16 to 18 January 2027. Two trade days and a conference programme for the wine regions at the cool edge of Europe.
Newsletter

More of this, every few weeks

New interviews, what the growers are seeing in the vineyard, and the deadlines that matter before the next Cool Climate Wine Summit. Three lists, so you only get the one you want.

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