(Pressdemocrat) - A decade ago I wrote an April Fools’ Day wine column about an optimistic winemaker in Sweden who had planted cabernet sauvignon, anticipating that climate change would put him ahead of the curve.

At the time, the idea was considered radical; Sweden was too cool to grow wine grapes. Not anymore.

In fact, a hybrid grape called Rondo now is growing in Sweden, England, and Germany, and going into red wines in all three regions. Part of the reason Rondo works in such previously wine-barren regions is that all three areas are seeing warmer average temperatures.

An article published earlier this month in the New Zealand Herald addressed how climate change Down Under will impact one of New Zealand’s most important wine regions — Central Otago.