[JR: The point of this exercise is that certain intuitions or quote common sense" are wrong. Shipping is better climatewise per mile than trucking.]

Dig more canals.

I think this sort of stuff is interesting.

The big picture stuff is the most important, obviously, but over the next quarter-century as we become increasingly desperate to reduce carbon emissions and adopt strong regulations and a high carbon price, everybody will be focused on their own individual carbon footprint whether they like it or not.

A lot of non-rich people drink foreign wine — and they certainly buy foreign goods. I think the point you miss is that “importing wine across the Atlantic” is not elitist from a carbon point of view as you seem to imply because shipping is very low carbon.

These trivial differences, in the end, won’t deliver change on the scale that is actually needed. Importing wine across the Atlantic (for more than just a rich minority) will never be sustainable in the true sense of the word. Just another form of greenwashing if ya ask me…

I also forgot to methion wines from Idaho. Now yet world class, like the Washington State whites, but still very good.

About alcohol content: Australian, Washington State and Idaho wines are all right around 12%. I’d tell you about that value for Okanagan wines as well, but it seems the Canukes drink it all up, leaving none for their neighbors immediately to the south.

Half the California wines were 14% – 16% alcohol. 20 years ago this was not the case. These high alcohol wines may have lots of flavor but they overwhelm Turkey dinners. They have little capacity to age since the alcohol doesn’t go away as tannins and fruit mellow.

Tincture of Cabernet is not a good thing.

California wineries are worried, as are Australia, Spain, Italy, northern Africa, and many other locations. Meanwhile robust reds are being made in interior British Columbia, formerly white wine only territory.

Let’s hope we have a viable wine industry in 10 years.