By Adam Allington, KWMU
St. Louis – The Missouri wine industry is having a good year after last year's devastating frosts.
However, scientists from the University of Missouri say climate change could play a critical role in the future of the business.
Most of the world's premiere wine regions are in Mediterranean climates with wet winters and dry, even temperature, summers.
Keith Striegler, of the Institute for Continental Climate and Viticulture in Columbia, Mo., said growing grapes in turbulent climates like Missouri's will become more difficult.
"Everybody focuses on the warming, but it's actually the fact we'll have a lot more extreme events that will have the most impact," Striegler said. "So the strategy of the Missouri wine industry has been grow what you can grow well and make the best wines out of it that you can."
Missouri winemakers have traditionally relied on native grape varieties like Norton and Vignole that are better adapted for a hot, wet climate.