British sparkling wine? A British winery emerges as a surprise winner amid extreme weather conditions in Europe.

Thanks to climate change, we are witnessing the warmest year on record, and this is having a major impact on industries that can't move to avoid it - like the wine industry. Regions that have long been leaders in the production of world-renowned wines, such as Italy, are facing declining volumes due to extreme weather conditions affecting the harvest and grape quality.

With the changing dynamics of the wine industry, one country has emerged as a surprise winner. The UK, which has a long history of winemaking but has never ascended to the title of wine capital alongside its European counterparts, which offered higher quality and greater variety. One of''The reasons for this were not the most suitable climatic conditions for growing grapes.

But as global temperatures increased, conditions in the UK became more suitable for growing certain grape varieties, allowing a thriving wine industry to develop. Warmer temperatures have contributed to better grape ripeness and therefore higher quality wine.

"Historically, English wine has not had a very popular or positive reputation," Jonathan White, marketing director of Gusbourne Estates, which owns vineyards in Kent and West Sussex, told Fortune magazine. The company planted its first vineyards nearly two decades ago. "The wine was just generally bad and its not''produced by wine professionals, non-fantastic winemakers and vineyards that knew what they were doing,' he added. However, by planting the right combination of grape varieties with the help of warmer temperatures, the wine industry has gained new prominence.

"Interest in the UK wine sector is as strong as we can remember - the number of calls we have received from people interested in buying or setting up their own vineyard has tripled in the last 12 months," Nick Watson, head of viticulture at Strutt & Parker, wrote in a June report. He noted that the number of vineyards in the country has increased by 80 percent to more than 900 in the past six years, and the area of production has increased''by about the same amount. While this is negligible compared to the wine capitals of the European Union, the UK is taking its place in an industry long controlled by historic centers.

The impact of climate change on the wine industry has been gradual but significant. In France, for example, erratic weather patterns have been reshaping the wine industry for several years, affecting the quality of the grape harvest. Last month, data released by Copa-Cogeca, the European Union's farming lobby, showed grape yields down 8.6% and 11.92% in Portugal and Italy respectively.

(No need to worry about wine shortages. Certain countries in Europe have long suffered from a surplus of wine, known as the 'wine lake'. В''This year, the French government has said it will set aside $200 million to destroy surplus wine and offer producers the proceeds because of falling prices and demand for wine.)

Although climate change is something of a negative, slowing down wine production in some regions has been a boon for the UK. Linda Johnson-Bell, a wine expert and founder of The Wine and Climate Change Institute (TWACCI), told Fortune magazine that Britain's climate now resembles that of Bordeaux or Champagne in the 1970s and 1980s. "It's just a game of luck now. Every month brings a new disaster," she said, referring to the current situation in French regions.

Besides climate conditions, the informal nature of regulation helps development''British wine industry.

Europe follows certain rules regarding wine production, including the obligation to use certain varieties to create certain formulas and the use of certain caps on bottles of sparkling wine.

"We don't have those restrictions," Watson of Strutt & Parker told Fortune magazine.

'The fairly reasonable price of fertile land is relatively cheaper than in the declared old world regions. So it's quite attractive''in terms of planting costs and the potential to produce quality wine,' said Watson.

The changing temperatures in the UK are particularly beneficial for growing certain grape varieties, and at the moment the most popular varieties in the country are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier - the three varieties used to make traditional Champagne - this was revealed based on data from WineGB, a wine industry organization.

"With climate change, there is now an opportunity to produce great sparkling wine," Professor of Ecosystem Science Martin Lukak from the University of Reading told Fortune magazine. He added that this was beneficial to wine producers, as margins are higher in sparkling types than in''unrigid.

"Farmers - like any other business - have to make money to sustain themselves," said Lukak, adding that revenues have attracted attention in recent years. WineGB expects wine production to double in the next 10 years from 12.2 million bottles in 2022 to 24.7 million in 2032.

Although the UK is a new entrant in the mainstream wine industry, it is not competing in the cheap or low-quality drink market. Linda Johnson-Bell of TWACCI told Fortune magazine that wine producers in England, Scotland and Wales are not interested in supermarket wine.

"A lot of them are masters of their craft, they don't want to get into mass-produced, commercial [wine]," she said. Gusbourne is one of''examples, the winery focuses on quality, so the harvest is limited to preserve its quality.

"We really value the craft of wine making," said Gusbourne Estates marketing commissioner White, adding that Gusbourne exports around 30% of its wines to 35 countries including Norway, Japan and the US. The UK now also produces several award-winning wines.

It's not easy to get into the wine business - vineyards require years of work on the grapes before they can be harvested and alcohol can be made. The work is also capital intensive: as Watson notes, it includes the cost of buying and managing thousands of acres of land to make sure it's suitable for growing grapes.

"If you consider all of these criteria,'''Areas ideal for viticulture are turning out to be much smaller than one would think,' Watson said. "The current cash requirements are very high, so it's quite expensive to get into this business. "

The phenomenon driving the growth of the British wine industry - climate change - is rapidly evolving. Johnson-Bell, who works on projects around the world on the impact of climate change on wine production, believes there is a huge opportunity here, but it is also changing rapidly due to the fast pace of climate change.

"The biggest challenge is that the window during which a grape variety remains viable is getting shorter and shorter," she said, adding that she advises her''customers to grow varieties that can adapt to warmer weather. "The real challenge will be how to protect this industry from future changes. "

Despite these hurdles, British wine is in better shape than ever before. Exports and international interest are steadily increasing, as is industry recognition.

"The British wine industry has become more professional, well capitalized, well invested," Watson said. And as weather conditions continue to bring fruitful grape harvests, the industry looks poised to thrive. "We're capable of producing an excellent amount of quality wines right now. "