The Effect of Climate Change On Wine Producti on viticulture
Accompanying program for the exhibition “Geht Grad° so? Climate in Lower Franconia”

The lecture series kicks off on Thursday, June 18, at 4 p.m. with the lecture “Climate and Viticulture” by Ralf Schwarz, expert advisor for cellar management and cellar technology at the District of Lower Franconia.

“Geht Grad° so? Climate in Lower Franconia” is a traveling exhibition organized by the Lower Franconian Cultural Foundation of the District of Lower Franconia in collaboration with the Museum of Franconia – State Museum of Art and Cultural History in Würzburg. The focus is on the question of whether new perspectives for dealing with current global warming can be gained from humanity’s relationship with the climate in the past.

Viticulture holds special economic and cultural significance in Lower Franconia. Climate change is fundamentally altering conditions. Rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events are already affecting the ripening processes, acidity levels, and flavor profiles of the grapes. In his lecture, Ralf Schwarz highlights the measures winemakers are already taking to ensure quality and yield in the long term. What adjustments are necessary in cultivation, grape variety selection, and cellar techniques? Additionally, potential future prospects for Franconian viticulture will be discussed.

The special tour series is complemented by two additional events on key climate change topics in the region: On Thursday, July 16, Michael Kolahsa, fisheries consultant for the Lower Franconia district, will speak on “Climate Change and the Ecology of Water Bodies in Lower Franconia.” On October 15, Anne Kraft, Head of the Museums Division for the District of Lower Franconia, and Peter Kraft, an independent farmer, will discuss “(Climate) Change in Agriculture.”