THE Scottish Borders could be the new home of Pinot Grigio - all due to climate change.

A new study into changing climate reveals how large areas of the UK could become leading wine producing regions by 2100.

According to the study, commissioned by Laithwaite’s Wine, popular grape varieties including Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay could be grown in unfamiliar areas such as Peckham and Milton Keynes.

While the Borders was identified as potentially one of the best areas in the UK, according to future climate trends, to produce Pinot Grigio, Riesling, and Pinot Noir!

The study by Professor Mark Maslin and Lucien Georgeson, from University College London, looked at the average temperature and rainfall conditions required for growing different grape varieties.

It also examined likely changes in Britain’s climate to map changes in British viticulture over the next 85 years.

Professor Maslin said: “Climate is critical to successful grape cultivation. This study could signal how we think long-term about British wine production and redraw the future wine map of the world.”

While Davy Zyw of Laithwaite’s Wine added: “It’s not long ago that experts scoffed at the idea of English, let alone wider British wine. 

"Now thanks to a changing climate, as well as passion and expertise, we could see wine buyers from all over the world coming to taste the latest UK vintages in a few generations.”

So how did they come to their conclusions?

To estimate the areas of the UK that could potentially be ‘growing areas’ for different wine grape varieties in 2100, the study considered the effect of temperature in the growing season, overall levels of rainfall throughout the year, and the level of rainfall in the month of harvest.

To do this, they combined information about the required growing season temperature range for each grape variety (usually April to October in the northern hemisphere), long-term average climate data on temperature and rainfall for the UK, and how this long-term average climate is predicted by climate models to change through to 2100.

Border Telegraph:

See the map (above) of how the wine regions of Great Britain might look in a few generations' time!

And, who knows, in decades to come we may be having a toast to Pinot Gullane!