The ice shelves might melt. The seas may rise. But the tipplers among us really start to worry about global warming when we hear that it's likely to have a significant impact on Europe's wine country.

According to a new study from Italy, the Tuscan wine region -- home to many a fine Chianti -- is starting to feel the heat. Experts fear that the high temperatures and increased rain will start to compromise the quality of Italian wines.

Like wine-makers in Northern California, Italian vintners face the reality that even slight variations in temperature can wreak havoc with their grapes, and erode the quality of their wines. While the Italian wine-makers interviewed in an Associated Press article aren't too worried about the short-term, they concede that wine production could be affected within the next 20 years.

Wine may not be the only casualty. Olive trees -- which tend to grow alongside grape vines -- may also face problems. That other heart-healthy Tuscan staple -- the olive tree -- can now thrive as far north as the Italian Alps, a region that was once too cold for the crop. It does seem a little bizarre to think of olive groves high a top a mountain in the Alps.

Fortunately, there may be a silver lining. A rise in temperatures may also push wine production into northern climates. Imagine, for instance, sipping on a lovely Chianti grown in Scandinavia. But then, who knows where vodka will be produced.

Perhaps in an effort to prevent wine country from mixing with vodka country, the European Union nations announced a bold plan earlier this week to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to 20 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2020.

It's an ambitious goal, and I'm glad that the EU continues to be pro-active about reducing emissions. The threat of global warming is a great motivator. And so is the prospect of wine country in the Norwegian fjords and olive oil grown on the Matterhorn.