I’m getting more and more into wine as I get “older” – which means headlines like this make me quite jumpy. What’s next – a global cigar shortage?

But seriously, there is reason to worry. The brighter kids in the room and Leonardo DiCaprio fans alike will be aware of the climate change crisis our planet faces. But besides the chances of everything just dying in the future, it’s the short term effects that could completely change how you get your kicks. And when I say short-term, I mean, like, NOW.

Check this out from CNN:

Global wine production is forecast to fall 5% in 2016, making it one of the worst years since the start of the century, according to the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV).

Wild weather, apparently driven by climate change, is the main culprit for the decline, the wine group says.

“With global warming, we’re witnessing an increase in exceptional events that are more frequent, longer lasting and of greater scale,” Jean-Marie Aurand, the head of the OIV, told Reuters.

Now you might think – Oh, that’s just in countries where global warming is really bad and won’t affect our local South African wines.

Wrong.

After explaining massive drops in output in countries including Chile and Argentina, they went on to specifically mentioned South African wines.

World famous wine producers like South Africa and France also took big hits from nasty weather. But increases in other major countries like Australia, the U.S. and Spain are expected to offset some of the damage.

They reckon the decline in output is the worst in the last four years, with 2012 showing a shortfall of a cool 300 million cases of wine.

That’s quite a staggering figure.

What a great excuse to build up an impressive wine cellar! The connoisseur’s answer to the classic armageddon bunker. Sure beats rows of canned beans.

But for now, let’s just hope the likes of Warwick have kept a few cases of First Lady Dry Rosé in reserve to see us through the Summer…

[source]