One of the world's most famous wine regions, Bordeaux may soon add a red grape variety grown in southwest Slovenia to the list allowed in its wines to counter the effect of climate change.

Refošk, known as refosco in Italian, is a grape family that yields a popular red wine variety native to the Istrian Peninsula. Vinakoper, a winery based in Koper, is the world's largest producer of refošk.

After visiting Vinakoper, Bordeaux oenologist and wine consultant Nicolas Vivas recommended Bordeaux winemakers be allowed to use the variety's natural acidity to preserve freshness of their wines.

In an article in the reputable Decanter wine magazine, he says the sensation of overripe merlot that has become common in Bordeaux due to climate change can be "seamlessly countered by only 2%-3% of Refošk".

"We take pride in having this variety in our vineyards and having it recognised by the French, who are very conservative when it comes to adding new varieties to their vineyards," Boštjan Zidar, chief oenologist at Vinakoper, told the Slovenian Press Agency.

"We are also very happy that the potential of refošk to adapt to climate change has finally been recognised," he added.

Refošk producers do not face as many problems as others, its low pH value and juicy acidity solving many of the problems brought on by climate change, which has also affected Slovenia.

Wine producers have been noticing that grapes ripen ever faster. The acids are being lost, and pH values are increasing. "Consequently, wine producers who wish to produce excellent wines are forced to pick the grapes earlier in the year," said Zidar.

Bordeaux has been warning of the impact of climate change for years. As the leading force in viticulture research and oenology, they are in search of measures to preserve the quality of their world-famous wines. The high pH level leads to wine losing its fruitiness, which has been one of the biggest challenges.

A specialist on red wine polyphenols and tannin, Vivas believes refošk could be the solution.

Asked about the outlook for this year's harvest, Zidar says it is too soon to say, but both the vines and the grapes are in good health.

"We had plenty of rain in the spring, the water supply was abundant. We have had some issues with diseases, so our winegrowers had to make an effort to keep the vines and the grapes in good health. Currently, we have plenty of sun. It all depends on the weather in the future. We hope there will be no hail," he said.

Vinakoper is planning to start picking grapes after 15 August, first harvesting grapes for sparkling wines. The next steps will depend on how the grapes ripen, Zidar said.