GARDINER, N.Y. — Wineries are a staple in New York state, but varying temperatures and changing climate conditions are impacting vineyards.

Grapes are budding and vines are beginning to grow at Whitecliff Vineyard.

“It is a very slow process. It's really time-consuming to figure out what will grow, and it doesn't stop. It evolves constantly,” said Yancey Stanforth-Migliore.

What You Need To Know

  • Wineries are a staple in New York state, but varying temperatures and changing climate conditions are impacting vineyards

  • Whitecliff Vineyard, based in the Hudson Valley, recently began growing Syrah, a grape from the Rhone region of France, which typically has a warmer climate

  • The winery owners hope this will work with the changing climate in New York

  • The way birds migrate is also being affected by climate change, and they tend to have a sweet tooth
  • According to Climate Central, fine wine production will likely shift as climate change may force wine growers and makers to move to different temperature regions

Stanforth-Migliore owns the winery with her husband, Michael Migliore. The couple combined their backgrounds in chemistry and marketing with their passion for wine to begin growing grape vines to make wine in the 1990s.

“It's a fascinating thing to do. There are very few people in the country. It's like a very small club to be a part of. It's not for the faint of heart,” Stanforth-Migliore said.

Wine growers have faced and continue to deal with challenges. One of their biggest yet is climate change, where the Earth’s rising temperatures are affecting everything about wine production from the soil to the supply chain. It’s also impacting an important aspect of grape growing, the temperature.

“The extreme swings are very difficult for plants, animals, insects, farmers,” Stanforth-Migliore said. “You want to look on the bright side. Find a bright side. You know, maybe we can grow something that we couldn't grow before because it's warmer.”

As everyone adapts to survive, so too, does this business. Stanforth-Migliore said they recently began growing Syrah. It’s a grape from the Rhone region of France, which typically has a warmer climate. Stanforth-Migliore said they began the process several years ago and now have what they believe is the first Syrah-made wine in the Hudson Valley.

“It's very experimental. If I were going to put our process into one word, it's determination,” Stanforth-Migliore said.

Stanforth-Migliore said the changing climate has also impacted how birds migrate, and they tend to have a sweet tooth. She uses nets keep the birds and other critters at bay.

“It can be deeply frustrating, and while I am a passionate animal lover, you end up really with no affection for some of these,” Stanforth-Migliore said.

While it’s tough to predict the future, Stanforth-Migliore is hoping the weather will be moist and the temperatures will be just right for their grapes to grow this season.

A global problem continues to affect how and what people locally will eat and drink in the future.

“The love of wine makes it all worthwhile,” Stanforth-Migliore said.

According to Climate Central, fine wine production will likely shift as climate change may force wine growers and makers to move to different temperature regions.