Spain: Adapting vineyards to a changing climate

A Catalan wine producer is experimenting with new innovations to tackle climate change in the vineyard, including the use of different training systems, cover cropping, canopy management, higher vigor rootstocks, lower density planting, and shade nets to delay ripening by over two weeks.

A metal canopy of photovoltaic solar panels has also been installed above vines to reduce sunlight and water stress while generating electricity, and “ancestral” grape varieties are being tested for use.

Another innovation involves fixing balloons above the stainless-steel tanks to capture CO2 produced during fermentation, which is then reused in the winemaking process.