The world is changing. This came into sharp focus for me in September while standing on the south bank of the Douro River in Portugal at Gaia, home to the world-famous Port Lodges. The vista takes in the magnificent historic centre of Porto and the impressive ironwork of the Dom Luís I bridge — a view that was obscured by thick smoke and the grey ash falling on my shoulders.
Wildfires were raging across 135,000 hectares in northern Portugal. While some wildfires are to be expected (usually earlier in the year), locals said this late fire was particularly bad, and both the frequency and severity of such fires seem to be increasing. Though no global report has yet been published on the 2024 fire season, this feeling is backed by the conclusions presented in the peer-reviewed journal Earth System Science Data, which draws upon a variety of data models, including satellite imaging, to track conflagrations in its annual State of Wildfires report. The latest analysis (2023–24) paints a damning picture of a rapidly changing world where extreme wildfire events are worsening — if not always in frequency, then in their intensity and impact, especially in terms of emitted carbon. All the evidence points to anthropogenic climate change as the cause.
Upriver from Porto, I met Rob Symington, marketing director for the B Corp-accredited Symington Family Estates, owner of Graham’s Port. According to Rob, the impact of climate change is already keenly felt by winemakers in the region. He told me how the old received wisdom about the best vineyards being in lower-lying areas close to the river no longer held true, with cooler, higher-altitude locations becoming increasingly attractive as summers get hotter. He said that prioritising sustainability is vital to the future of his family’s business. (You can read Symington Family Estates' 2023-24 Sustainability Report here.)
This echoes the story I’ve heard first-hand from winemakers further south in Jerez, the home of sherry, and further afield in Oregon, Texas, and Romania. In all of these places, climate change is forcing a shift in methods and grape varieties. This isn’t up for debate: it’s a fact of life.
Whisky is not immune to this. Aside from reliance on wine casks for maturation, climate change is and will continue to impact the supply of oak, barley, wheat, corn, and water, while rising temperatures will also influence maturation losses and processes. At best, climate change will alter the flavour of whisky, and at worst it will pose an existential threat to the spirit.
One reader recently wrote to me to complain about Whisky Magazine’s environmental sustainability reporting. He argued that whisky enthusiasts don’t care about these issues, or how “woke” the distillers are being by minimising environmental impact.
I told him what I’ll tell you now: I believe that true appreciation of whisky requires an understanding of its history, production, people, and environment — not just the final product. Understanding all these elements not only deepens our connection to the liquid but can help us make more informed choices when it comes to purchasing.
Whisky is an agricultural product that’s closely tied to the land. As the environment deteriorates, so too will the quality of the whiskies we love. If we want the traditions, heritage, and flavour of whisky to stay the same, the way it is made, packaged, and distributed has to change. I believe we must hold distillers to account, giving credit where it’s due and calling out negligence if and when we identify it. We must be especially wary of those claiming to change while only doing so superficially and when it doesn’t impact profit.
This is not a ‘political’ position. It’s a question of survival. If whisky is to remain relevant for the next generation (a generation that’s already drinking less and financially worse off than their parents and grandparents) then there is no room for half-measures on sustainability.
Perhaps the reader is right that some enthusiasts today don’t care about the green credentials of their dram, but we already know the next generation does care and will not hesitate to ask these questions before picking up a bottle. We ignore the changing world at our peril.
To learn more about what the whisky industry is doing to mitigate the impact of climate change, I suggest taking a look at the following resources:
- Scotch Whisky Association's Sustainability Plan & Case Studies
- Organic Architects x SPEY - Building Better Whisky Report
- Suntory Global Spirits Sustainability Report
