My point is that it is possible, even likely, that the wines grown in medieval England were of some variety which could thrive in cold weather. The mini ice age may have been point too much for them and the wine growing withered after one or two exceptionally harsh years. The idea that England's climate in the medieval times was warmer than today because of wine growing, is dubious or at least unreliable. Yet it is touted as a proof of the warmer than today days in the middle ages. This confuses lots of public to believe that it is proven by wines that medieval was warmer than today.
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:51:20 +0000
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Often Repeated Story of Medieval Wine Growing in England as a "proof" of warmer times
To: [log in to unmask]
Hello All,
I think you will find that is why they produced mead more than wine
per se. Near to me in North Oxfordshire (actually less than a mile
away) there was until recently a vineyard but because the EU forbid
any expansion of the number of vines allowed (to control over
production and more likely to protect the French producers) they had
to close down. The vines have since been grubbed up. However the
wine produced was apparently very nice despite the winters and the
wet summers. I can only think it was down to a particular variety
that allowed them to produce wine. Yet there is also plenty of
historical evidence to suggest that wine was produced even as far
North as Yorkshire. Fountains Abbey I believe had vines growing
there.
Anyway what we grow today is treated with chemicals to keep the
moulds at bay and they are probably wrapped in fleece to protect
them in the winter so it is probably proof of hardiness of the vines
to our particular weather. (We don't have climate here. Only
weather. :) )
Kev C
On 21/12/2011 17:32, Oliver Tickell wrote:
Interesting story, but surely not conclusive as regards your
thesis, as there are (broadly speaking) two factors to consider:
1. How hardy the vines are to hard winter frosts.
2. How hardy the vines are to cool, damp, cloudy summers.
This story demonstrates, as you say, that there are vines capable
of withstanding very hard frosts. But my suggestion is that those
same vines may demand fairly warm, dry, sunny summers in order to
thrive. The climate limit on vines in Britain may be imposed by
the coolness of our summers more than by the coldness of our
winters.
Oliver.
On 21/12/2011 15:46, Veli Albert Kallio wrote:
Often-repeated Story of Medieval Wine Growing in
England as a "proof" of warmer times is a spoof.
Here is an article about a wine variety that seems fine and
well even temperatures down to -20C.
I have long time suspected that the idea of the Mediterranean
(if not tropical) wine was a spoof.
Here there is report of traditional wine plant variety that
survives easily down to -20C.
This supports idea that the medieval wines in England were
adapted for the cold climate, not that the climate was near
the Mediterranean ranges of temperatures in the Middle Ages as
the climate change skeptics claim:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16267993
--
"Wisdom is what's left after we've run out of personal opinions."
Cullen Hightower
