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I'm Dr. Anthony Liesiewicz, and this is Climate Connections. For nearly 300 years, the winemaker Maison Renard has made Champagne in northern France. The region's cool weather helps the grapes ripen to just the right conditions for making crisp, bright wines. But as the climate warms, the grapes are ripening earlier and faster. And Caroline Feo, Maison Winard's cellar master, Sarah, says they no longer reach their ideal sugar to acid balance and aroma simultaneously. Instead, these features sometimes mature at different rates, which changes the grape's flavor.
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In 2025, we had the sugar level which was reached at a given moment, but the aromatic maturity was not ready,
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so they had to wait to harvest. And as a result, the grapes had more sugar. To adapt. Maison Renard is leaning into the change and embracing the unpredictable. They've created Blanc Sangulier, a collection of Champagnes made from grapes grown in years with atypical weather. It's specifically designed to highlight the altered flavor of the grapes.
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Blanc Sangulier is a response to climate change and is also a way for us to raise this awareness about climate change.
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So it's an innovative way for the champagne maker to continue its legacy. Climate Connections is produced by the Yale center for Environmental Communication. To learn more about climate change, visit climateconnections.org.
Date: June 15, 2026
Host: Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, Yale Center for Environmental Communication
Featured Guest: Caroline Feo, Cellar Master at Maison Renard
This episode of Climate Connections explores how global warming is transforming one of France’s oldest traditions: Champagne making. Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz examines the tangible effects of rising temperatures on the Champagne grapes cultivated by Maison Renard, a winemaker with nearly three centuries of heritage. The episode reveals how climate change is shifting grape ripening and flavor, and spotlights the innovative ways winemakers are responding to these new realities.
In under two minutes, this episode of Climate Connections captures the immediate effects of climate change on a centuries-old winemaking tradition. Through the voice of Maison Renard’s cellar master, listeners learn how warming trends are upending traditional practices, and how bold, creative responses like Blanc Sangulier are transforming both consumer awareness and the world of fine Champagne.