Maritime climates (wine)
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In viticulture, the climates of wine regions are categorised based on the overall characteristics of the area's climate during the growing season. While variations in
macroclimate In viticulture, there are several levels of regional climates that are used to describe the '' terroir'' or immutable characteristics of an area. These levels can be as broad as a macroclimate which includes entire wine regions or as small as a mi ...
are acknowledged, the climates of most
wine regions This list of wine-producing regions catalogues significant growing regions where vineyards are planted. Wine grapes mostly grow between the 30th and the 50th degree of latitude, in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Grapes will sometimes ...
are categorised (somewhat loosely based on the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
) as being part of a
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
(for example
Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...
),
maritime Maritime may refer to: Geography * Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps * Maritime Region, a region in Togo * Maritime Southeast Asia * The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prin ...
(ex:
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
) or continental climate (ex:
Columbia Valley The Columbia Valley is the name used for a region in the Rocky Mountain Trench near the headwaters of the Columbia River between the town of Golden and the Canal Flats. The main hub of the valley is the town of Invermere. Other towns include R ...
A. Mumma '
The Washington wine difference: it's in the vineyard
'' Wines & Vines, November 2005
). The majority of the world's premium wine production takes place in one of these three climate categories in locations between the 30th parallel and 50th parallel in both the northern and southern hemisphere.T. Stevenson ''"The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia"'' pg 14-15 Dorling Kindersley 2005 While
viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for '' vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of '' Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ...
does exist in some
tropical climate Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of 18 °C (64.4 °F) or higher in the cool ...
s, most notably
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, the amount of quality wine production in those areas is so small that the climate effect has not been as extensively studied as other categories.J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 179-195, 388, 428-434, 716-714 Oxford University Press 2006


Influence of climate on viticulture

Beyond establishing whether or not viticulture can even be sustained in an area, the climatic influences of a particular area goes a long way in influencing the type of
grape varieties This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...
grown in a region and the type of viticultural practices that will be used. The presence of adequate sun, heat and water are all vital to the healthy growth and development of grapevines during the growing season. Additionally, continuing research has shed more light on the influence of dormancy that occurs after harvest when the grapevine essentially shuts down and reserves its energy for the beginning of the next year's growing cycle. In general, grapevines thrive in
temperate climates In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...
which grant the vines long, warm periods during the crucial
flowering A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...
,
fruit set The annual growth cycle of grapevines is the process that takes place in the vineyard each year, beginning with bud break in the spring and culminating in leaf fall in autumn followed by winter dormancy. From a winemaking perspective, each step ...
and ripening periods.H. Johnson & J. Robinson ''The World Atlas of Wine'' pg 20-21 Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005 The physiological processes of a lot of grapevines begin when temperatures reach around . Below this temperature, the vines are usually in a period of dormancy. Drastically below this temperature, such as the
freezing point The melting point (or, rarely, liquefaction point) of a substance is the temperature at which it changes state from solid to liquid. At the melting point the solid and liquid phase exist in equilibrium. The melting point of a substance depend ...
of the vines can be damaged by frost. When the average daily temperature is between the vine will begin flowering. When temperatures rise up to many of the vine's physiological processes are in full stride as grape clusters begin to ripen on the vine. One of the characteristics that differentiates the various climate categories from one another is the occurrence and length of time that these optimal temperatures appear during the growing season.K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' pg 12-21 Workman Publishing 2001 In addition to temperature, the amount of rainfall (and the need for supplemental
irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...
) is another defining characteristics. On average, a grapevine needs around of water for sustenance during the growing season, not all of which may be provided by natural rain fall. In Mediterranean and many continental climates, the climate during the growing season may be quite dry and require additional irrigation. In contrast, maritime climates often suffer the opposite extreme of having too much rainfall during the growing season which poses its own viticultural hazards. Other climate factors such as
wind Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few ho ...
,
humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity dep ...
,
atmospheric pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1013.25 millibars, ...
, sunlight as well as
diurnal temperature variations In meteorology, diurnal temperature variation is the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day. Temperature lag Temperature lag is an important factor in diurnal temperature variation: peak da ...
—which can define different climate categories—can also have pronounced influences on the viticulture of an area.


Mediterranean climates

Wine regions with
Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
s are characterised by their long growing seasons of moderate to warm temperatures. Throughout the year there is little
seasonal A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
change, with temperatures in the winter generally warmer than those of maritime and continental climates. During the grapevine growing season, there is very little rainfall (with most precipitation occurring in the winter months) which increases the risk of the viticultural hazard of
drought A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D.  Jiang, A.  Khan, W.  Pokam Mba, D.  Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...
and may present the need for supplemental irrigation. The Mediterranean climate is most readily associated with the areas around the Mediterranean basin, where viticulture and
winemaking Winemaking or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over millennia. The science of wine and ...
first flourished on a large scale due to the influence of the
Phoenicians Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...
,
Greeks The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
, and
Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
of the
ancient world Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cov ...
.


Wine regions with Mediterranean climates

*
Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...
and most other Central-Southern
Italian wine Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted fo ...
regions *
Liguria it, Ligure , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
* Marsala,
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
*
Pantelleria Pantelleria (; Sicilian: ''Pantiddirìa'', Maltese: ''Pantellerija'' or ''Qawsra''), the ancient Cossyra or Cossura, is an Italian island and comune in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and east of the Tunisi ...
*
Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
*Most
Greek wine Greece is one of the oldest wine- producing regions in the world and among the first wine-producing territories in Europe. The earliest evidence of Greek wine has been dated to 6,500 years ago
regions *
Cyprus wine The Cypriot wine industry ranks 50th in the world in terms of total production quantity (10,302 tonnes), and much higher on a per-capita basis. The wine industry is a significant contributor to the Cypriot economy through cultivation, production ...
regions *
Israeli wine Israeli wine is produced by hundreds of wineries, ranging in size from small boutique enterprises to large companies producing over ten million bottles per year. Wine has been produced in the Land of Israel since biblical times. Wine was exported ...
regions *
Jordanian wine Jordanian wine is produced by two wineries, with an annual production of nearly a million bottles a year. Jordan has a long tradition of wine making, dating as far back as Nabatean times. Archaeological digs near Petra have uncovered at least 8 ...
regions *
Lebanese wine Lebanon is among the oldest sites of wine production in the world. The Israelite prophet Hosea (780–725 BC) is said to have urged his followers to return to God so that "they will blossom as the vine and fame be like the wine of Lebanon, ndthe ...
regions * Palestinian wine regions *Most
Albanian wine Albanian wine () is produced in several regions throughout Albania within the Mediterranean Basin. The country has one of the oldest wine making traditions, dating back at least 3000 years ago to the Bronze Age Illyrians. It belongs chronological ...
regions *Most
Montenegrin wine Montenegrin wine is wine made in the Balkan country of Montenegro. Many Montenegrin vineyards are located in the southern and coastal regions of the country. Montenegrin wines are made from a wide range of grape varieties including Krstač, Cabern ...
regions * Corsica * Languedoc and Roussillon *
Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...
*Southern Rhone Valley *
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
*
Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...
including
Jerez de la Frontera Jerez de la Frontera (), or simply Jerez (), is a Spanish city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, located midway bet ...
* Balearic Islands * Canary Islands (bordering tropical) *
Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the nort ...
* Jumilla, Spain *
Vinos de Madrid Vinos de Madrid is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP), located in the southern part of the region of Madrid ( Spain). It covers 54 municipalities and is divided into the three sub-zones (Arganda, Navalcarnero, and San Martín), ...
*Most
Portuguese wine Portuguese wine was mostly introduced by the Romans and other ancient Mediterranean peoples who traded with local coastal populations, mainly in the South. In pre-Roman Gallaecia-Lusitania times, the native peoples only drank beer and were unfami ...
regions * Primorska
Slovenian wine Slovenian wine is wine from Slovenia. Viticulture and winemaking has existed in this region since the time of the Celts and Illyrians tribes, long before the Romans would introduce winemaking to the lands of France, Spain and Germany. J. Robinson ...
region (''Cfa'') *Coastal Croatian wine regions (''Cfa'') *Some Azerbaijani wine regions *
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
and other coastal
California wine California wine production has a rich viticulture history since 1680 when Spanish Jesuit missionaries planted ''Vitis vinifera'' vines native to the Mediterranean region in their established missions to produce wine for religious services. I ...
regions *
Southern Oregon AVA The Southern Oregon AVA is an American Viticultural Area which lies in Southern Oregon, United States. The Southern Oregon AVA was established in 2005 and was created to include the land of two smaller AVAs: the Rogue Valley AVA and the Umpqua ...
*
Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
wine regions *
Western Australian Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
and
South Australian wine The South Australian wine industry is responsible for more than half the production of all Australian wine. South Australia has a vast diversity in geography and climate which allows the state to be able to produce a range of grape varieties&nd ...
regions *
Chilean Central Valley The Central Valley ( es, Valle Central), Intermediate Depression, or Longitudinal Valley is the depression between the Chilean Coastal Range and the Andes Mountains. The Chilean Central Valley extends from the border with Peru to Puerto Montt in ...
*Western coastal
South African wine South African wine has a history dating back to 1659 with the first bottle being produced in Cape Town by its founder and gouverner Jan van Riebeeck. Access to international markets led to new investment in the South African wine market. Produc ...
regions *Western and southern coastal
Turkish wine Turkish wine is wine made in the transcontinental Eurasian country Turkey. The Caucasus region, where Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Iran are located, played a pivotal role in the early history of wine and is likely to have been one of the earl ...
regions: ** Aegean Region **
Marmara Region The Marmara Region ( Turkish: ''Marmara Bölgesi'') is a geographical region of Turkey. Located in northwestern Turkey, it is bordered by Greece and the Aegean Sea to the west, Bulgaria and the Black Sea to the north, the Black Sea Region to th ...
(bordering maritime) **
Mediterranean Region In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and wa ...
*
Thracian Lowlands The Upper Thracian Plain ( bg, Горнотракийска низина, ''Gornotrakiyska nizina'') constitutes the northern part of the historical region of Thrace. It is located in southern Bulgaria, between Sredna Gora mountains to the north ...
, Southern
Bulgarian wine Grape growing and wine production have a long history in Bulgaria, dating back to the times of the Thracians. There is evidence of Bulgarian winemaking since 4000 B.C. Wine is, together with beer and grape rakia, among the most popular alcoholic bev ...
region (''Cfa'') *Upper Struma Valley, Southwestern
Bulgarian wine Grape growing and wine production have a long history in Bulgaria, dating back to the times of the Thracians. There is evidence of Bulgarian winemaking since 4000 B.C. Wine is, together with beer and grape rakia, among the most popular alcoholic bev ...
region (''Cfa'') *
Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
(bordering maritime) * Madeira *
Algerian wine Algerian wine is wine cultivated and bottled in Algeria. It has played an important role in the history of wine. Algeria's viticulture, viticultural history dates back to its settlement by the Phoenicians (wine), Phoenicians and continued under ...
regions *
Egyptian wine Winemaking has a long tradition in Egypt dating back to the 3rd millennium BC. The modern wine industry is relatively small scale but there have been significant strides towards reviving the industry. In the late nineties the industry invited inter ...
regions (irrigated by the
Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest ...
system) * Moroccan wine regions * Tunisian wine regions *
Shiraz wine Shiraz wine refers to two different wines. Historically, the name refers to the wine produced around the city of Shiraz in present-day Iran.Entry on ''"Persia"'' in J. Robinson (ed), ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'', Third Edition, p. 512-513, ...
region, Iran (until
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...
, since largely grown in Australia and South Africa)


Continental climates

Wine regions with continental climates are characterised by the very marked seasonal changes that occur throughout the growing season, with hot temperatures during the summer season and winters cold enough for periodic ice and snow. This is generally described as having a high degree of
continentality Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north), within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing som ...
. Regions with this type of climate are often found inland on
continents A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...
without a significant body of water (such as an Inland sea (geology), inland sea) that can moderate their temperatures. Often during the growing season continental climates will have wide
diurnal temperature variations In meteorology, diurnal temperature variation is the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day. Temperature lag Temperature lag is an important factor in diurnal temperature variation: peak da ...
, with very warm temperatures during the day that drop drastically at night. During the winter and early spring months, frost and hail can be viticultural hazards. Depending on the particular macroclimate of the region, irrigation may be needed to supplement seasonal rainfall. These many climatic influences contribute to the wide vintage variation that is often typical of continental climates such as Burgundy (wine), Burgundy. There are more wine regions with continental climates in the northern hemisphere than there are in the southern hemisphere. This is due, in part, to small land mass size of southern hemisphere continents relative to the large oceans nearby. This difference means that the oceans exert a more direct influence on the climate of the southern hemisphere wine regions (making them maritime or possibly Mediterranean) than they would on the larger northern hemisphere continents. There are also several wine regions (such as Spain (wine), Spain) that have areas that exhibit a continental Mediterranean climate due to their altitude or distance from the sea. These regions will have more distinct seasonal change than Mediterranean climates, but still retain some characteristics like a long growing season that is very dry during the summer.


Wine regions with continental climates

*Burgundy (wine), Burgundy (maritime by US standards) *Côte-Rôtie AOC, Côte-Rôtie and other Northern Rhone wine regions (maritime by US standards) *Jura wine region (maritime by US standards) *Most of the Loire Valley (wine), Loire Valley (maritime by US standards) *Rioja (wine), Rioja (''Cfa/Cfb'') *Piemonte (wine), Italian Piedmont and most other Northern
Italian wine Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted fo ...
regions (''Cfa/Cfb'') *Douro DOC, Douro (Mediterranean by US standards) *Saale-Unstrut, German wine, Germany *Saxony (wine region), Saxony *Armenian wine regions *Most Austrian wine regions *Most
Bulgarian wine Grape growing and wine production have a long history in Bulgaria, dating back to the times of the Thracians. There is evidence of Bulgarian winemaking since 4000 B.C. Wine is, together with beer and grape rakia, among the most popular alcoholic bev ...
regions *Croatian wine#Continental Croatia, Inland Croatia *Most Czech wine regions *Most Hungarian wine regions *Kazakh wine regions *Most Macedonian wine regions *Most Moldovan wine regions *Polish wine regions *Most Romanian wine regions *Most Russian wine regions *Most Serbian wine regions *Most Slovak wine regions *Podravina, Podravje and Lower Sava Valley, Posavje, Slovenian wine, Slovenia *Inland
Turkish wine Turkish wine is wine made in the transcontinental Eurasian country Turkey. The Caucasus region, where Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Iran are located, played a pivotal role in the early history of wine and is likely to have been one of the earl ...
regions including Central Anatolia Region, Central Anatolia and Eastern Anatolia Region, Eastern Anatolia *Most Ukrainian wine regions *Sabile, Latvia *Most Canadian wine regions (including Okanagan Valley (wine region), Okanagan Valley, British Columbia wine, British Columbia and except western BC) *Mendoza wine, Mendoza, Argentina (subtropical) *Central Delaware Valley AVA (PA/NJ) *
Columbia Valley The Columbia Valley is the name used for a region in the Rocky Mountain Trench near the headwaters of the Columbia River between the town of Golden and the Canal Flats. The main hub of the valley is the town of Invermere. Other towns include R ...
(includes Walla Walla Valley AVA, Walla Walla Valley (''Csa'') and Yakima Valley AVA, Yakima Valley) *Most of Cumberland Valley AVA (PA/MD) *Eastern Connecticut Highlands AVA *Finger Lakes AVA, Finger Lakes, NY *Grand Valley AVA, Grand Valley, Colorado *Hudson River Region AVA, Hudson River Region *Lake Erie AVA (NY/PA/OH) *Lake Michigan Shore AVA, Michigan *Lancaster Valley AVA, Pennsylvania *Lehigh Valley AVA, Pennsylvania *Missouri Rhineland *Niagara Escarpment AVA, NY *Most of Ohio River Valley AVA (IN/KY/OH/WV) *Most of Ozark Mountain American Viticultural Area, Ozark Mountain AVA (AR/MO/OK) *Most of Snake River Valley AVA (Idaho/Oregon) *Mainland Southeastern New England AVA (CT/MA/RI) *Texas Davis Mountains AVA *Texas High Plains AVA, Texas High Plains *Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA (IL/IA/MN/WI) *Western Connecticut Highlands AVA *Most Hokkaido wine regions *Nagano Prefecture, Japanese wine, Japan *Tendō, Yamagata *Beijing wine region *Ningxia, Wine in China, China *Xinjiang wine regions *Yantai, China *East of Cascade Range, Washington (state), Washington state, United States


Maritime climates

Wine regions with oceanic climate, maritime climates are characterised by their close proximity to large bodies of water (such as oceans, estuaries and inland seas) that moderate their temperatures. Maritime climates share many characteristics with both Mediterranean and continental climates and are often described as a "middle ground" between the two extremes.C. Fallis, editor ''The Encyclopedic Atlas of Wine'' pg 20-21 Global Book Publishing 2006 Like Mediterranean climates, maritime climates have a long growing season, with water currents moderating the region's temperatures. However, Mediterranean climates are usually very dry during the growing season, and maritime climates are often subject to the viticultural hazards of excessive rain and
humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity dep ...
that may promote various grape diseases, such as mold (fungus), mold and mildew. Like continental climates, maritime climates will have distinct seasonal changes, but they are usually not as drastic, with warm, rather than hot, summers and cool, rather than cold, winters. Maritime climates also exist in some wine-growing areas of highlands of subtropical and tropical latitudes, including the southern Appalachian Mountains in the United States, the eastern Australian highlands and the central highlands of Mexico.


Wine regions with maritime climates

*
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
*Champagne wine region, Champagne *Irouléguy AOC, Lower Navarre *Madiran wine region, Gascony *Muscadet *Alsace wine, Alsace and Lorraine (region), Lorraine (continental by French standards) *Most German wine regions (continental by French standards) *Liechtenstein wine regions (continental by French standards) *Moselle wine, Moselle Valley including Luxembourg wine, Luxembourg (continental by French standards) *Most Swiss wine regions (continental by French standards) *Bizkaiko Txakolina, Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country *Rías Baixas (DO), Rías Baixas (''Csb'') *New Zealand wine regions *Zona Sur, Southern Chile including Bío Bío River, Bío Bío Valley, Itata River, Itata Valley, and Malleco River, Malleco Valley (''Csb'') *Block Island, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard AVA, Martha's Vineyard (''Cfa''), and Nantucket (all part of Southeastern New England AVA and bordering continental) *Long Island AVA, Long Island (''Cfa'' bordering continental, primarily East End (Long Island), east end, and including the North Fork of Long Island AVA, North Fork and The Hamptons, Long Island AVA, The Hamptons) *North Fork of Roanoke AVA, North Fork of Roanoke, Virginia *Puget Sound AVA, Puget Sound (''Csb'') *Rocky Knob AVA, Virginia *Some of Shenandoah Valley AVA (VA/WV) *Upper Hiwassee Highlands AVA, Upper Hiwassee Highlands (GA/NC)(mostly ''Cfa'') *Volcano Winery, Hawaii *Willamette Valley AVA, Willamette Valley (''Csb'') *Alpine Valleys, Victoria *Pyrenees_(Victoria)#Wine, Australian Pyrenees *Bowral, New South Wales *Most of Canberra District wine region *Cowra wine region, Cowra highlands, New South Wales *Fleurieu zone including Kangaroo Island and Langhorne Creek wine region, Langhorne Creek, South Australia (''Csb'') *Gippsland, Victoria *Grampians (wine), Grampians, Victoria *Granite Belt, Queensland/NSW *Heathcote wine region, Victoria *Henty (wine), Henty, Victoria *Mudgee wine region, Mudgee highlands, New South Wales *Orange wine region, Orange, New South Wales *Victorian wine#Port Phillip, Port Phillip, Victoria (includes Mornington Peninsula (wine), Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley (wine), Yarra Valley) *Tasmanian wine, Tasmania *Tumbarumba wine region, NSW (semi-arid) *Fraser Valley, British Columbia wine, British Columbia *Gulf Islands, BC *Vancouver Island wine regions including Cowichan Valley, BC *Médanos, Buenos Aires, Médanos, Buenos Aires wines, Buenos Aires Province *Río Negro Province, Argentina (semi-arid) *Tarija wine region, Bolivia *Caxias do Sul, Brazilian wine, Brazil *São Joaquim, Brazil *Eastern Cape wine-growing areas including St Francis Bay, South African wine, South Africa *KwaZulu-Natal wine, KwaZulu-Natal highlands *Mossel Bay, Western Cape, South Africa (semi-arid) *Some highland Ethiopian wine regions *Belgian wine regions *Most Danish wine regions *Dutch wine regions *Wine from the United Kingdom, England and Wales *Irish wine, Southern Ireland *Some Georgian wine regions *Some Abkhazian wine regions *Some Winemaking in Crimea, Crimean wine regions including Massandra *Some Krasnodar Krai wine regions *Some Black Sea Region
Turkish wine Turkish wine is wine made in the transcontinental Eurasian country Turkey. The Caucasus region, where Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Iran are located, played a pivotal role in the early history of wine and is likely to have been one of the earl ...
regions *Pico IPR, Pico Island, Pico, Azores, Portugal *Da Lat, Vietnam *Chã das Caldeiras#Wines_and_Pomace_brandy, Chã das Caldeiras, Cape Verde *Areas of Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Hidalgo (state), Hidalgo, Querétaro, and Zacatecas, central highlands of Mexican wine, Mexico *Some Kashmir wine regions *Thimphu wine region, Bhutan *Oshima Peninsula, Matsumae Peninsula, Hokkaido *West of Cascade Range, Washington (state), Washington state, United States (''Csb'')


See also

*Climate classification


Notes


References

{{Viticulture Climate and weather classification systems Viticulture Wine terminology