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For example, grape vines have certain mechanisms to protect the buds during winter, but these mechanisms get disabled as soon as you get the first warm snap. Th

For example, grape vines have certain mechanisms to protect the buds during winter, but these mechanisms get disabled as soon as you get the first warm snap. The problem is that if it then gets cold again you lose all the buds, so no grapes. But in fact, we know that grapes were grown at more northerly areas in the British Isles in warmer historical times. If it has been done, it's too late to suggest it's impossible.

davidw 17y ago
The British Isles (as long as you don't stray too far north in Scotland, at least) aren't all that cold in terms of minimum temperatures (my guess is that it doesn't get that much colder than it does here in northern Italy). They're just damp. And don't get that hot in summer. And once you get any sort of trade happening, you're far better off with Italian wine anyway, so why bother. Global warming is off topic for HN anyway. Few people here that I know of are climate scientists, and most people seem to make up their mind along political lines rather than scientific ones anyway, so discussions are unproductive at best.
Alex3917 17y ago
"But in fact, we know that grapes were grown at more northerly areas in the British Isles in warmer historical times. If it has been done, it's too late to suggest it's impossible." That's vitis labrusca, I was talking about vitis vinifera. I have no doubt it can be done to some extent, but there's a large difference between being able to do something in theory and having large quantities of good wine for relatively cheap.