I was asked the other day what the effect of global warming will be on the wine industry.

It’s a query wine scientists have been pondering for some time, and lately a handful of winemakers are asking themselves whether the higher alcohol levels we have seen in many table wines are related to this phenomenon.

The question is a lot more than academic to those in the southern hemisphere, where the effects of global warming may well be seen with greater impact. Over the next three decades, said one report I read, the average daytime temperature would rise by about 1.5 degrees centigrade, which could be significant for some grape varieties.

A worse scenario comes from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which projected “a global temperature increase of anywhere from 1.4 degrees to 5.8 degrees Celsius from 1990-2100,” according to a report from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Imagine, then, that the average daytime temperature in Sweden could be warm enough to ripen cabernet sauvignon, and that Napa Valley would be so hot it would be equivalent to a desert where no quality grapes could survive.

Though global warming is likely to cause problems for grape growing in the distant future, I think wine scientists still have time to deal with this otherwise pernicious problem. I suspect that by 2100 some solutions may be implemented.

One strategy that may well be employed over the next few years is a move toward cooler climates for fine wine grapes. And that move is already afoot as wineries investigate areas that now are too cool to ripen fruit every year.

In fact, looking at today’s wines and forgetting for now those of future generations, I am finding a lot to like in the wines of cooler growing regions. Of the best wines from the United States, I’m most excited about the wines of upstate New York (the Finger Lakes), Michigan, Virginia, Washington and Oregon, and a number of important California regions that are near major bodies of water and thus cooler on average than inland or arid regions.

Among California’s top cool-region wines, look for the following:

Russian River Valley: This area of western Sonoma County, which also includes the smaller area of Green Valley, is widely known for the greatness of its pinot noirs, many of which are some of the priciest wines of this varietal in the country.

Santa Lucia Highlands: An east-facing hillside region in Monterey County, pinot noir is also widely planted here, and the wines are usually splendid, but the area also shows the potential to make top-rate syrahs and chardonnays.

Santa Maria Valley: In northern Santa Barbara County, this cooler region is famed for a wide array of wines, notably pinot noir, but also chardonnay and more recently pinot blanc.

Carneros: Best known for its chardonnay, this area is at the southernmost reaches of both Napa and Sonoma counties, and has recently made stellar pinot noirs that are better than ever. But sparkling wine also flourishes here.

Sonoma Coast: A huge region stretching from Mendocino County all the way to Marin County, and with inland sections following the “Petaluma wind gap” from the sea. Not all of the Sonoma Coast region delivers a distinctly different wine, but it is cool enough to deliver great pinot noirs. Included are a few wines from cold, windy Freestone, an area that may well soon come into its own.

Anderson Valley: A sliver of a valley west of the rest of Mendocino County’s vines, and a superb apple-growing country that now also yields great gewurztraminer, riesling, pinot noir and other cool-climate varieties.

Lake County: North of Napa and into the hills, a county that has almost all mountain vineyards and produces increasing quantities of cooler-climate fruits that make classic wines from barbera, cabernet, merlot and zinfandel.

As time goes by, cooler regions of America may well come into their own as the best growing regions for high-quality wines.

Wine of the Week: 2005 Esser Cabernet Sauvignon, California ($11) — Superb cabernet aroma of cherry and dried herbs, with attractive mid-palate fruit and a soft, silky texture. An excellent value, as are all Esser wines, and all priced about the same.

Dan Berger resides in Sonoma County. Berger publishes a weekly newsletter on wine and can be reached at danberger@VintageExperiences.com.