Scientist’s search for super grape to counter climate change

Scientists are looking to combat the adverse effects of climate change on France’s winemaking regions by creating a new variety of grape that can withstand violent shifts in weather.

After a record heatwave in 2003 winemakers, particularly around the region of Bordeaux, have had to face the harsh impact that increasingly hot and dry summers have on their harvest. Experts believe that the dry conditions seen over this summer could decrease the region’s output by a quarter and that we may see the entire region dried out by 2050. Scientists have been allocated dedicated plots to research potential grape varieties that can better withstand extreme dryness and heavy downpours in an attempt to protect France’s multi-billion dollar industry. Read more: thelocal.fr