Warmer and drier conditions pose a risk to grape growing across inland NSW.
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But it's not all doom and gloom for the Orange region.
Thanks to its high altitude, the region has distinct advantages over other areas, allowing farmers to adapt by moving their vines up and down the slopes of Mount Canobolas to suit different varieties.
By doing so, farmers like James Robson, owner of Ross Hill winery, are mitigating the impacts of climate change on their vineyards.
"Without being able to predict the future I do feel that places like Orange are going to be able to handle global warming pretty well," Mr Robson said.
"I think there'll be other regions which will become more and more unsuitable."
With vineyards positioned at varying altitudes, Mr Robson is adjusting how he's growing different grape varieties.
He once planted his Chardonnay grapes at 750 metres above sea level, but after noticing them being adversely affected in hotter years, he now plants them at 1020 metres.
![James Robson owner of Ross Hill wines. Picture by Carla Freedman. James Robson owner of Ross Hill wines. Picture by Carla Freedman.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/230870587/4393a7a8-eb3f-46fb-b08c-b36e5d186e3a.JPG/r0_502_4032_2769_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Because of global warming there are going to be grape varieties that are not suitable where they are presently being grown," he said.
"What we have the ability to do here is just keep creeping up the mountain because the higher you go, the colder it is."
Inland NSW at risk
The Orange region is home to over 60 wineries and it's taken only 40 years for the region to become one of Australia's most renowned wine regions.
A recent report from Nature Reviews Earth and Environment found overall warmer and drier conditions could put the inland region of NSW at risk of losing its suitability for growing grapes.
It found that dry and arid inland areas of NSW were more vulnerable to the affects of climate change.
"We're seeing other wineries and people growing and in some cases moving their production to Orange," Mr Robson said.
![Mr Robson has adjusted his faming practices to suit warmer climates. Picture by Carla Freedman. Mr Robson has adjusted his faming practices to suit warmer climates. Picture by Carla Freedman.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/230870587/16c02206-0518-4ef7-b7ec-03e8ee2f8bad.JPG/r0_376_4032_2643_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"In NSW, at some stage there will be a tipping point, of am I going to be able to keep doing this variety on the spot? Or do I have to change?"
Mr Robson said in South Australia, many viticulturalists have moved to grenache because "it's more suited to the increasingly warmer climate".
Becoming carbon neutral
Ross Hill is the first winery to be certified carbon neutral by the Australian Government, through reducing its carbon imprint through diesel usage, electricity and packaging.
The 38 kilowatts of solar panels ensure Ross Hill's carbon credits only cost between $1000 and $2000 per year for a business that produces 25,000 cases of wine.
![Grapes on the rise as Orange's altitude proves positive amid climate crisis Grapes on the rise as Orange's altitude proves positive amid climate crisis](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/230870587/a0a9f362-b077-419e-9a01-1814bd471479.JPG/r0_378_4032_2646_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"When you're a farmer, and you see what is happening with your farm and what global warming and climate change is doing, you're very conscious of it" Mr Robson said.
"Because the best wines we make are when we get the perfect season and those perfect seasons are getting harder."
"But we will adapt because that's what humans do."