As part of our ongoing series on climate and heritage, we spoke with Jenny Herman, postdoctoral researcher at EIREST, a multidisciplinary research team dedicated to tourism studies at Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Paris, France.
Jenny Herman portrait 2025
Could you introduce yourself and tell us in what way you are involved in the topic of climate change and heritage?
I am working on a project called Reframing (Viti)Cultural Landscapes that is within the New European Bauhaus framework, the European Union’s policy and funding initiative for green transition. The project is funded by Horizon Europe, within the greater consortium of CONVIVIUM, a project on food, living heritage and conviviality. The aim of this project is to bring a heritage dimension to the new European Green Deal.
In 2016 I started a project on concepts of terroir in viticulture and the impact of climate change on the French Appellation d’Origine Controlée (AOC) system. The AOC was originally formed to protect against fraud and today promotes an idea of terroir that a specific place will have a specific taste. I did a study on the ways in which winemakers are having trouble adapting to climate change because of the strictness of the AOC. All of these ideas of timelessness that geographical indications and food labeling revolve around also depend on the idea that a climate is stable.
All of these ideas of timelessness that geographical indications and food labeling revolve around also depend on the idea that a climate is stable.
There are essentially two different narratives around heritage in viticulture. One is the heritage embedded in geographical indication policies, which define specific practices—often historical—that are considered characteristic of a region. The other narrative concerns intangible heritage, traditional knowledge—embodied practices passed down through generations. Winemakers often have intimate knowledge of the land and apply adaptive techniques. These include irrigation systems, field furrows, intercropping, companion planting, natural fertilizers, and biodynamic methods. For example, winemakers use herbal blends instead of chemical pesticides and herbicides.
Design also plays a key role in this heritage. In the French Basque region, typical Basque homes often have underground wine caves. In Portugal’s Douro Valley, a UNESCO-protected cultural landscape, innovative water-capturing systems are used, embracing the valley’s terraces for irrigation and gravitational cooling. Another example is the Tokaj region in Hungary. This is an UNESCO cultural landscape as well. The Hercegkut wine cellars of Tokaj are both architecturally important, but also show climate adaptation- the cellars remain cool and have stable moisture year-round. Winemakers have knowledge of the specific micro-climates of these cellars for aging.
An important thing I have noticed since the start of my research is that climate change is now a commonplace topic among winemakers that I speak to. I had to introduce the subject gently then in 2016, and now it is a fact taken for granted.
Bairrada mixed viticultural landscape 2025 – fieldwork photo by Jenny Herman
In what way do you already experience the impact of climate change on heritage (in your work)?
The number one factor which winemakers would mention is that there has been an increase in extreme weather events, such as early frost and hail. These events damage young grape buds, which leads to significant crop losses, as seen in 2023 across various European wine regions. Conventional viticulture methods, like monoculture, make vineyards more vulnerable. There are a lot of different adaptation possibilities, such as intercropping grape varieties and polyculture. This is traditional knowledge that winemakers could use, but they often can’t within their geographical indication label, which are also aimed at safeguarding “tradition”.
Ironically, in northern regions like Poland, Belgium and the Netherlands, climate change is creating new opportunities: hybrid grape varieties offer different styles than classic European ones like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which are also now possible to plant in regions where it was previously too cold. In contrast, southern Europe faces challenges such as excessive heat, which leads to grapes with too much sugar and consequently wines with higher alcohol content — a problem given the declining demand for heavier wines. So for southern Europe, that is a major problem as well as drought and fires.
Not only is there an impact of climate change on the cultural landscapes, there is also the loss of a sense of tradition as winemakers and communities who had knowledge of specific styles or grapes will no longer be able to cultivate them as before.
Not only is there an impact of climate change on the cultural landscapes, there is also the loss of a sense of tradition as winemakers and communities who had knowledge of specific styles or grapes will no longer be able to cultivate them as before.
What should be done to limit the possible damage of climate change on heritage?
The hopeful thing is that many winemakers already know what can be done. There also have been expert reports on wine policy to the European Commission and new committees, such as one from UNESCO, focusing on climate change and intangible cultural heritage. What I hope to do through projects like CONVIVIUM is to influence policy by making geographical indication (GI) regulations more flexible, allowing winemakers to apply local knowledge and adapt to changing conditions.
What I hope to do through projects like CONVIVIUM is to influence policy by making geographical indication (GI) regulations more flexible, allowing winemakers to apply local knowledge and adapt to changing conditions.
On a broader level, I think that policies should integrate ecosystem-based approaches and biodiversity into cultural landscape regulations. UNESCO’s 2001 meeting in Tokaj already proposed this, but it wasn’t implemented. Heritage status in regions like Champagne and Bordeaux has increased land prices and intensified monoculture, making these areas less ecological and less adaptable. So in a way, it is almost the opposite of preserving this heritage.
Knowledge sharing between regions and between conventional and natural/biodynamic winemakers is also crucial. For instance, one of the winemakers we have interviewed in Portugal, practices biodynamic winemaking, and inspired neighbouring vineyards to reconsider pesticide use after seeing that the grape quality improved. So there is kind of this ripple out-effect, which I think is really interesting.
On a broader level, I think that policies should integrate ecosystem-based approaches and biodiversity into cultural landscape regulations. UNESCO’s 2001 meeting in Tokaj already proposed this, but it wasn’t implemented. Heritage status in regions like Champagne and Bordeaux has increased land prices and intensified monoculture, making these areas less ecological and less adaptable. So in a way, it is almost the opposite of preserving this heritage.
The challenge here to change these policies is economical, because it is a major export business. Europe produces 45% of the world’s wines. This also has influenced consumers: they expect a very consistent product- the idea of terroir, as implicated in the AOC, has built an expectation of stability in terms of style or grape.
At the same time I also see opportunities in the development of agritourism experiences. It could be a way to change people’s mindsets about what they expect of the ‘typical’ vineyard aesthetic. And if winemakers can have a more diversified income from agritourism, they could reduce the amount of vines planted and have more space for intercropping and the environment. So, there are some ways in which slow tourism can be an answer and stimulate rural development.
Hercegkut Wine Cellars Tokaj 2024 – fieldwork photo by Jenny Herman
Do you see a role for heritage in climate adaptation or climate mitigation?
Yes, think for instance of traditional wine practices, such as the vine training system in the humid Basque region of Spain. These methods, like tall canopy training that allows sea breezes to reduce mold, show how local knowledge can support climate resilience.
There is a growing appreciation for heritage practices in viticulture, such as planting trees in vineyards to maintain soil health and using horse-drawn plows to avoid soil compaction. And also think of traditional irrigation and gravitational design for cooling and production, which I mentioned earlier. These methods support biodiversity and climate resilience but are often not used today because it is either complicated to reproduce on an industrial scale or too expensive. But if these methods would be practiced more, you would keep a tradition alive, and you are literally helping the land, the product and creating new jobs at the same time. So in every way, it is a benefit.
I do want to emphasize here that anybody living and working in a place will be able to learn these practices. Knowledge doesn’t need to be inherited—it can be shared and learned by anyone working in a region. I think this inclusive view supports both environmental and social sustainability, and is important in challenging exclusionary heritage narratives
What are your expectations for the impact of climate change on our European heritage in the future?
There is a hopeful and a pessimistic perspective regarding climate change and viticulture. On the hopeful side, I hope that collective grassroots efforts can influence policy. By embedding traditional practices into policies, biodiversity can be promoted and protected. A good example could be the case of Belgium, where establishing such policies from the start could have a great impact.
On the pessimistic side, I fear that climate change will deepen socioeconomic inequalities, particularly affecting climate migrants and small-scale producers. The capitalist system we are in, protects financial interests over well-being and I fear that large-scale wine producers may resist necessary changes unless economic pressures force them to adapt.
The capitalist system we are in, protects financial interests over well-being and I fear that large-scale wine producers may resist necessary changes unless economic pressures force them to adapt.
It is however already an urgent problem, since wine production in regions like southern France may become no longer be viable due to climate change. Incentives such as tax benefits and agricultural insurance schemes are already being used to manage surplus and support transitions, but it is happening kind of as provisional methods of coping with climate change instead of being applied more broadly.
I do feel empathy for small winemakers who have a deep connection to their land and heritage, and who may face difficult career changes. However, I believe that sustainable adaptations—like agroforestry, intercropping, and mixing grape varieties—can help preserve both tradition and climate resilience if supported by policy.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
If I can add one last thing, it would be that we should keep in mind that Europe produces 45% of the world’s wines. Viticulture is a big industry for Europe, as a relatively small geographical area. The impact this industry could have on biodiversity increase is huge. So, I hope it will live up to its potential.