Podcast Summary: Climate Connections – "A Champagne with notes of climate change"
Date: June 15, 2026
Host: Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, Yale Center for Environmental Communication
Featured Guest: Caroline Feo, Cellar Master at Maison Renard
Episode Overview
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.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Impact of Global Warming on Champagne Grapes
- Regional Climate Importance:
- Northern France’s historically cool weather has been critical for producing the crisp and bright characteristics of Champagne (00:03).
- Changing Ripening Patterns:
- Grapes are now ripening earlier and faster due to higher temperatures, disrupting the delicate sugar-to-acid balance essential for traditional Champagne flavors (00:08–00:23).
- Decoupling of Maturity:
- Caroline Feo explains that sugar and aromatic maturity are “no longer reaching their ideal sugar to acid balance and aroma simultaneously,” with these features sometimes maturing at different rates, resulting in notable changes to grape flavor (00:28–00:36).
Practical Challenges in Harvesting
- 2025 Vintage Example:
- In 2025, the grapes hit their target sugar content before they were aromatically mature. This forced winemakers to delay the harvest, leading to higher sugar levels and affecting the final flavor profile (00:38–00:55).
- “[In] 2025, we had the sugar level which was reached at a given moment, but the aromatic maturity was not ready.” – Caroline Feo (00:38)
Maison Renard’s Adaptive Innovation
- Blanc Sangulier Collection:
- Maison Renard launched Blanc Sangulier, a new range of Champagnes made from grapes grown in atypical weather years. The collection purposefully showcases the altered flavors resulting from climate impacts (00:56–01:06).
- “Blanc Sangulier is a response to climate change and is also a way for us to raise this awareness about climate change.” – Caroline Feo (01:06)
- Embracing Change and Raising Awareness:
- Instead of resisting climate impacts, the winery is leaning into them, highlighting the evolving nature of Champagne and increasing consumer awareness about climate change (01:06–01:15).
Broader Themes
- Adaptation in Tradition:
- Maison Renard’s approach illustrates how even centuries-old cultural practices must adapt to a warming world (01:15).
- Communicating Climate Change Through Taste:
- The Blanc Sangulier release serves both as a product innovation and an educational tool, connecting consumers’ sensory experiences to environmental realities.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “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.”
– Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz (00:03)
- “In 2025, we had the sugar level which was reached at a given moment, but the aromatic maturity was not ready.”
– Caroline Feo (00:38)
- “Blanc Sangulier is a response to climate change and is also a way for us to raise this awareness about climate change.”
– Caroline Feo (01:06)
- “So it’s an innovative way for the champagne maker to continue its legacy.”
– Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz (01:15)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:01–00:23: Introduction: Climate’s role in Champagne production
- 00:23–00:36: Disrupted grape ripening and shifting flavor profiles
- 00:38–00:55: 2025 harvest challenge – Decoupling of sugar and aromatic maturity (Caroline Feo’s explanation)
- 00:56–01:06: Launch of the Blanc Sangulier collection as a response to climate change
- 01:06–01:15: Champagne innovation as climate awareness and legacy preservation
Conclusion
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.
