Climate
Definition - What does Climate mean?
Climate is a general term utilized to describe a region's general weather pattern. The term includes the encompassing concepts of temperature, hours of sunshine and precipitation of the stated region.
For example, if a vineyard were to be adjacent to a large lake, the climate would be described as having a "Lake Effect".
WineFrog explains Climate
Each wine region in the world has a designated climate type. While the climate may include factors such as temperature, the amount of precipitation per year and hours of sunshine and some other geographical features determine the type of climate.
For instance, a large sea or ocean with warm currents can create a climate in which grapes grow under many hours of sun with long dry periods during the growing season and cooler winters. This is considered a Mediterranean climate. A vineyard next to a sea or ocean with cooler currents would be considered to have a cold climate, and would have to adhere to cool-climate viticulture practices in order to grow successful crops and use more cool-climate varietals.
