Resilience in Viticulture: Cultivating a Future in Uncertain Times

By Toni Ulled, beeletter.org  

Climate change is bringing about a profound transformation in the wine world.  Extended periods of drought, heat waves, torrential rains or unseasonal pests are affecting vineyards in many regions across the planet. Considering this new scenario, a growing number of wineries and winegrowers are turning to a more resilient form of viticulture: these cultivation methods adapt to the new conditions by protecting the soil, reducing emissions, and ensuring wine quality in the long term. 

What is resilient viticulture? 

This winegrowing approach combines tradition, innovation, and sustainability to adapt to the effects of climate change. It is about caring for the soil, using less water, fostering biodiversity, and selecting more heat- or drought-resistant varieties. This isn’t simply a question of survival but of doing better. 

Why is it important for wine and the planet?  

Viticulture doesn’t only depend on the climate – it can also influence it. Healthy soils capture carbon, plant covers reduce erosion, and a sustainably managed vineyard can significantly lower its carbon footprint.  Furthermore, resilient landscapes produce wines that tend to be more authentic, endowed with a personality that reflects the environment. 

1. Protecting the soil means protecting the wine 

The quality of a wine begins below ground. Healthy soils contribute nutrients, store water, and regulate the temperature of the roots. Maintaining this natural balance involves practices such as moderate to no tilling, planting cover crops or applying natural compost. Many Priorat and Penedès wineries forego tilling altogether to increase biodiversity and prevent intense rainfall from washing away the soil. 

Plant cover at Mas La Plana Vineyard, a Familia Torres property  

2. Using less water in dry climates

Excessive irrigation not only depletes aquifers but also affects grapevine balance. Resilient viticulture prioritizes varieties that are better adapted to the heat. Irrigation is kept to a minimum and the focus is on increasing the soil’s capacity to retain moisture. In regions like Castilla-La Mancha, winegrowers are recovering more drought-resistant, indigenous varieties such as Airén or Garnacha Tinta. 

3. Biodiversity in the vineyard: natural allies

The more life a vineyard contains, the more protected it is. Beneficial insects, cover crops, hedgerows or trees help regulate pests and diseases, thereby reducing the use of pesticides. They also transform a vineyard into a more stable ecosystem that is capable of weathering extreme changes. Some wineries install nesting boxes, hedgerows, and bee hives to foster and improve biodiversity in the vineyard. 

4. Change starts with the choice of varieties

Many wineries are rediscovering old varieties that are better adapted to the heat and require less water. They are also planting varieties that ripen later or are more resistant to diseases. For instance, Familia Torres is recovering pre-phylloxera grapes that were long forgotten such as Forcada or Moneu, which have proven capable of successfully adapting to climate change. 

5. Fewer emissions, more future

Using renewable energies or reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers improve energy efficiency, thereby reducing the environmental impact of winegrowing.  Many wineries are already calculating their carbon footprint and implementing ways of reducing it every year. Once again Familia Torres leads by example. The winery has managed to reduce its emissions per bottle by 36% since 2008 and is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2040. 

6. Innovating while staying true to your roots

Resilience doesn’t mean forsaking tradition, but adapting it. In many cases, this involves combining ancestral knowledge and modern tools: humidity sensors, satellites to monitor the vineyard, plant covers or drones to detect water stress, all in the service of implementing a model of regenerative viticulture. 

7. The role of the consumer 

Choosing a wine is both a cultural and environmental decision. Opting for wines made with sustainable criteria is a direct way of supporting rural resilience. We can make a difference by seeking out organic labels, inquiring about the wine producer’s practices or becoming better acquainted with the provenance of the wines we drink. Platforms like Spanish Organic Wines can help us identify responsible producers. 

Seal of the association International Wineries for Climate Action

Cultivating our future, one bottle at a time 

Resilient viticulture is not only about caring for the wine but for the landscape, water resources, and climate. It is a way of envisioning the future with commitment and responsibility, from the land to the glass. In uncertain times, every gesture counts. And so does every bottle.