Heat And Drought Reshape Wine Country
Winemakers across the United States are facing a growing challenge as summer heat, recurring drought and extreme weather threaten the quality of grapes and the signature flavors of their wines.
As global temperatures rise, many vineyards are changing how they grow, manage and protect their crops in order to reduce climate risk and make their operations more sustainable.
Warmer Seasons Change Grapes
Higher temperatures can alter the chemistry of grapes by causing them to ripen faster.
That can affect sugar levels, acidity and flavor development, ultimately changing the taste, balance and identity of the finished wine.
Wine Regions Face Long-Term Risk
A 2024 study found that warming temperatures could make 70% of the world’s wine-growing regions unsuitable for grape production if global temperatures rise beyond a certain threshold.
Experts warn that climate change may reduce grape yields in some regions by changing temperature patterns, limiting water availability and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events.
Moving Vineyards Is Not Simple
Some researchers have suggested relocating vineyards to more suitable climates as conditions shift.
But many growers have cultivated the same land for decades or even generations, making relocation emotionally, financially and culturally difficult.
Winemakers Look For New Strategies
Rather than moving, many producers are experimenting with strategies that help protect grape quality while reducing environmental impact.
These approaches include reforestation, biodiversity protection, soil management, renewable energy, regenerative farming and the use of grape varieties better suited to changing conditions.
Oregon Winery Uses Trees As Protection
In Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Abbott Claim is using the surrounding natural landscape to make its vineyard more resilient.
The estate, known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, believes preserving Oregon white oak trees around the vineyard helps strengthen the ecosystem that supports the vines.
Mycelium Supports Vineyard Health
According to Abbott Claim general manager Alban Debeaulieu, the white oaks help encourage the growth of mycelium, an underground fungal network that interacts with root systems.
This network can improve nutrient uptake for the trees and create a richer underground environment that also benefits grapevines.
Biodiversity Becomes A Vineyard Tool
Viticulture experts say increasing plant diversity around vineyard margins and hedgerows can help improve biodiversity.
For Abbott Claim, preserving the natural ecosystem has become central to its climate strategy.
Reforestation Replaces Weak Parcels
When Abbott Claim determined that some parcels were unlikely to produce world-class wine again, the team began reforesting those areas.
Over the past two years, the winery has planted Oregon white oak seedlings as part of a broader effort to restore the landscape and strengthen long-term resilience.
Sustainability Built Into Operations
The winery has also embedded sustainability into its production facility.
Because the building sits 16 feet underground, natural temperatures reduce the need for air conditioning. Solar panels on the roof offset 100% of the facility’s energy use and often send surplus power back to the grid.
California Vineyards Battle Heat And Fire
In Northern California wine country, climate pressure has taken another form: drought and wildfires.
After years of megadrought, vineyards in Napa and Sonoma have been forced to confront the growing risk of smoke damage, extreme heat and unstable growing conditions.
Wildfires Destroy Entire Vintages
Elusa Winery in Calistoga, California, scrapped its entire 2020 red wine vintage because of smoke taint.
Sommelier and marketing head James Cerda said the winery did not produce a single bottle of red wine that year because the smoke damage made the grapes unusable.
Donum Estate Strengthens Its Soil
The Donum Estate, a 200-acre Sonoma farm producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, was also hit by major wildfires in 2017 and 2020.
After losing half of its harvest, the team began introducing new strategies to protect the vines and improve vineyard resilience.
Cover Crops Cool The Vineyard
Donum now keeps the soil between vineyard rows covered with cover crops and native plants.
This approach has reduced soil temperatures and made the vines more resilient. Cooler soil has also helped lower canopy temperatures, improving conditions for the grapes.
Regenerative Farming Gains Ground
Cover crops can help improve soil health and water quality while reducing the effects of climate stress.
Donum also practices regenerative farming by maintaining living roots year-round and using no-till methods, which allow crops to grow without disturbing the soil through plowing.
Sustainability Becomes Commonplace
Sustainability has become increasingly common in viticulture as growers recognize the impact repetitive agriculture can have on land and climate.
The global agriculture sector and food systems accounted for roughly 30% of human-made greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Restaurants Highlight Sustainable Wines
Some wine professionals are also shaping demand by choosing sustainable wines for their lists.
Lina Goujjane, sommelier at Kiko in New York City, looks for practices such as native yeast fermentation and careful acid management, especially as heat causes grapes to ripen too quickly.
Hybrid Grapes Offer New Potential
In Vermont, La Garagista grows hybrid cold-climate grapes using organic and biodynamic methods.
Founder and winemaker Deirdre Heekin sees observation and adaptation as essential in a period of climate instability, while viticulture researchers say hybrids remain an underexplored tool for improving sustainability.
Organic Winemaking In France
In southern France, Souleil Vin de Bont has built sustainability into the core of its operations.
The organic producer uses eco-certified grapes and avoids synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Its winemaking process is also vegan, using pea protein instead of egg whites for filtration.
Adaptation Defines The Future Of Wine
Climate change is forcing winemakers to rethink almost every part of vineyard management, from soil and water to biodiversity and grape selection.
For many producers, the goal is no longer only to preserve tradition, but to adapt it. The future of wine may depend on how successfully vineyards can protect their landscapes, reduce emissions and keep producing distinctive wines in a hotter, more unstable climate.
