September 2025 issue

Volume 70, Issue 9

Climate change is disrupting the delicate environmental conditions that wine grapes depend on, leaving vineyards vulnerable to heat, drought, frost, and extreme weather. To adapt, viticulturalists are experimenting with long-term solutions like rootstock–scion pairings and short-term strategies such as canopy management, irrigation, and drought-resistant plant materials. However, economic pressures are driving many growers toward a narrow set of popular grape varieties, threatening regional diversity and raising concerns about the long-term resilience and identity of global wine production.
 

Cover illustration courtesy of Adobe Stock/lblinova and ANik.