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Europe Wildfires: Officials Warn That Wildfires Could Still Be Burning in November—As It Happened
July 27, 2026 | The Guardian
EU officials have said wildfires could still be burning until early November in what threatens to be a record-breaking year in terms of area of land burned. So far this year, more than 242,000 acres in France have been affected and 425,000 acres in Spain, and this year—a nearly sixfold increase over last year. The wildfires around Bordeaux are generating immense fire clouds that create their own wind and lightning that can spark fresh blazes. The Gironde fire is “unlike anything we have ever seen in France,” a regional prefect is quoted.
These Public Housing Pathways Are Made from Wine Corks
July 20, 2026 | The New York Times
The new pathways at a public housing complex in Brooklyn are paved with cork recycled from bottles of wine and champagne served in New York City restaurants. Some 450,000 corks were ground up, mixed with an adhesive compound, and spread on the pathways and playgrounds at the complex. It was chosen as an environmentally sustainable, nontoxic and cooler alternative to conventional asphalt or rubberized surfaces often used on playgrounds and walkways.
How Grapevine Rootstocks Affect Drought Tolerance, Yield and Canopy Growth
July 16, 2026 | Sustainable Winegrowing with Vineyard Team
Tune in as Oregon State’s Patty Skinkis shares findings from her data collection at the university’s replicated rootstock trial. Planted by Patty’s predecessor in 1997 and including 18 rootstocks, it was “basically untouched since 2006,” she says. When growers approached her in 2020 about plant stress related to the three common rootstocks used across Oregon vineyards, the 25+-year-old research trial presented a “treasure trove” of mature rootstocks. Patty’s using the findings to develop an updated guide to help growers select rootstocks for climate resilience, vineyard establishment and future production.
Could Bioeconomy Unlock New Value from Existing Resources?
July 16, 2026 | UC ANR Food Blog
UC Davis researchers are exploring how CA farmers could leverage the estimated 54 million metric tons of annual biomass—including 10 million in agricultural byproducts—the state produces to gain more value as part of the bioeconomy. For example, using genomic selection, tomato and grape varieties could be developed with altered pectin or sugar profiles that could increase the volume and purity of high-value nutraceutical extracts in their pomace.
As California Harvest Begins, Crop Is Looking Light
July 14, 2026 | WineBusiness Monthly
“The crop is significantly ahead of schedule,” said one Central Coast winegrape grower who harvested Pinot noir for his winery’s sparkling program on June 30, three to four weeks ahead of schedule. While other California regions are ripening closer to historical timelines, growers and brokers statewide agree that, between shatter, reduced cluster sizes, vine removals and mothballing, the state’s 2026 harvest will be a particularly small one.
How To Detect—and Prevent—Sunburn in Grapes
July 13, 2026 | SevenFifty Daily
Scientifically speaking, there are two types of sunburn in grapes. Sunburn browning is the milder form; it appears as yellow, bronze or brown spots on the skin resulting from high light and high heat. Sunburn necrosis is the lethal version in which the cells die, skins crack and berries shrivel primarily due to extreme temperature. Fully mature Chardonnay berries can begin showing symptoms within about five minutes when berry surface temps reach 104 to 109°F.
Cortical Integrity Sustains Radial Hydraulic Conductivity Under Acute Salinity in Grapevine Roots
July 10, 2026 | Physiologia Plantarum
How do grapevine roots continue to transport water under severe salinity? Chilean scientists compared commercial rootstocks with grapevines native to Chile’s Atacama Desert and found that the most resilient genotypes maintained hydraulic conductance by preserving root structure, not through processes that regulate osmosis, stomata and photosynthesis.
New Fungicide Combats Powdery and Downy Mildew in Vineyards Using Less Copper
July 8, 2026 | Vitisphere
On June 30, an amoeba lysate-based fungicide was approved in France for use against downy mildew and powdery mildew. Recommended for use after flowering, the dual-mode biocontrol agent inhibits fungal development (particularly on clusters) by preventing spore germination and release, and it also stimulates the vine’s natural defense mechanisms to prevent infection. The French wine industry worked with the French Vine & Vine Institute to secure emergency authorization for 120 days to enable spray trials with the material to enable its commercialization.
Could Sheep’s Wool Help Grow Better Wines?
July 8, 2026 | California Wines via LinkedIn
Could sheep’s wool help grow better wines? An on-farm experiment at California’s Shannon Family of Wines is aimed at finding out. They’re piling waste wool from their resident flock of nearly 1,000 sheep under vineyard rows. Their hypothesis is that, as the wool breaks down, it can help lock in moisture, suppress weeds and slowly release nutrients into the soil to support healthy vine growth.
Climate Change Could Redraw California Wine Country Maps
July 7, 2026 | Courthouse News Service
Researchers modeled California’s current and future climate suitability for grape cultivation across nearly 400 locations in the state, primarily in the North Coast and Central Coast. They found that, by the end of this century, suitability for grape cultivation in historic wine production regions such as Napa, Sonoma, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara is likely to decline under worst-case climate change conditions. But Mendocino and Monterey Counties could become new wine powerhouses, due to an increase in climatic suitability for wine-growing and decrease in extreme fire-weather days.
Scientists Are Now Eyeing a Possible ‘Mega El Niño’
July 5, 2026 | Straight Arrow News
Meteorologists are warning that this year’s developing El Niño could evolve into a rare Super or even Mega El Niño, likely to produce extreme and unpredictable swings between heavy rainfall and prolonged drought—but fewer hurricanes, at least. NOAA monitors El Niño using a network of buoys across the Pacific Ocean. The predicted impacts vary by region. Warm water temps have already set the conditions for an El Niño. Will it become one of the strongest on record?
Farming for the Future: Why Paso Robles Growers Are Choosing Regenerative Organic Farming
July 3, 2026 | The Vintner Project
According to the Regenerative Organic Alliance, topsoil is being lost globally at a rate of roughly 30 soccer fields every minute. Responding to this threat, a small but growing group of wineries has moved beyond organic and biodynamic farming toward the regenerative system that prioritizes soil health, animal welfare and social responsibility. Of the 22 wineries worldwide that are Regenerative Organic Certified®, six are based in Paso Robles, CA.
Using AI to Improve Wine Grape Quality
July 1, 2026 | USDA-ARS Pacific West
As extreme and unpredictable weather makes it difficult for grape growers to plan water application processes, USDA-ARS researchers in Kimberly, ID, have a solution. They’ve designed a decision support system that uses AI, analytics and inexpensive moisture sensors connected to the Internet of Things to monitor the Crop Water Stress Index, a key component of vine water status, to help manage vineyard irrigation and optimize wine grape quality.
Sky’s the Limit
July 1, 2026 | Oregon Wine Press
Drones are taking on more tasks across thousands of vineyard acres in Oregon. They can autonomously fly 10 feet above the canopy, carrying 20 gallons of material, navigating by GPS and adjusting droplet size in real time, then return to base for a battery charge and resume precisely where they left off. Because they have no ground contact, drones don’t cause soil compaction. And they can navigate smaller or more challenging sites, such as steep slopes or wetter areas.
OSU Study Tests Wine Grape Protection from Smoke
July 2026 | Oregon State University
Could a barrier spray applied before smoke exposure help protect grapes, preserve wine quality and reduce the risk of crop losses after wildfire events? Oregon State University researchers tested four sprayable film formulations to find out. Chitosan, a natural material already used in winemaking as a fining agent, worked best. It adsorbed the volatile phenols that lead to smoky, ashy flavors and reduced diffusion through the film. So yes, with ongoing research, a chitosan-based sprayable barrier shows promise as a practical vineyard-level strategy for reducing smoke-taint risk.
Toward a Vineyard Model for Low-Alcohol Wines: Severe Shoot Trimming Drastically Reduces Grape Sugar Concentration
June 24, 2026 | Horticulturae
In response to increasing demand for low-alcohol wine, a team of Italian researchers set out to learn whether grape sugar concentration could be effectively achieved in the vineyard. Their 2025 field experiment on Ortrugo (a vinifera variety) employed severe shoot trimming applied at specific phenological stages. Results show it successfully reduced grape sugar and wine ethanol without compromising yield, aroma or vine performance, supporting the potential of severe trimming for low-alcohol wine production and reduced-impact dealcoholization.
How Cracks in Dry Soil Impact Moisture Evaporation
June 22, 2026 | Morning Ag Clips
Most hydrological models assume soil structure to be static, but when prolonged drought causes desiccation cracks, the proportion of sand, silt and clay that make up the soil change, and permanently affect its ability to retain moisture. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examines the evolution of soil cracking and how cracks interact with storage and movement of water in the soil. The findings can help improve hydrological models essential for water management.
Three-Cornered Alfalfa Hopper: Monitoring, Models and Management
June 18, 2026 | Sustainable Winegrowing with Vineyard Team
The three-cornered alfalfa hopper (TCAH) is the only confirmed insect vector of grapevine red blotch virus, yet many growers don’t realize the pest is present until they see girdling on petioles. UC ANR North Coast IPM Advisor Cindy Kron shares findings from two years of weekly sweep-net monitoring that revealed TCAH adults are present well before budbreak, suggesting grapevines are not their preferred host. Legumes in ground cover are key feeding and reproductive hosts. Degree-day models may help growers better time tillage to reduce TCAH populations and limit grapevine red blotch risk.
Napa Valley’s Grape Growers Struggle To Detect and Contain Red Blotch Disease
June 17, 2026 | Napa Valley Register
Although grapevine red blotch virus was first identified by UC Davis researchers in 2012, the Rutherford AVA in Napa Valley has suddenly become a hotspot for the disease. Infected vines can be asymptomatic for 2-3 years, a latency period that enables the scourge to spread throughout vineyard blocks undetected. Rogueing vines and replanting is the only effective strategy, but in premium Napa vineyards, it’s an expensive proposition. With no silver bullet in sight, growers are running their own on-farm trials using insecticides, hyperspectral cameras, sheep grazing and foliar clay applications.
Texas Wine Grapes Launch to Space for Research Mission
June 17, 2026 | Texas A&M AgriLife
Researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife launched hundreds of grape seeds to space. The seeds will spend six months aboard the International Space Station, where extended exposure to space radiation could induce genetic mutations. Upon return, they’ll be planted in the AgriLife Research vineyard. Scientists will study differences in plant growth, vine and wine grape performance, and genetics. The project could produce the first wine made from grapes grown from seeds that traveled through space.
Closing the Loop: Carbon Amendments & Vineyard Soils
June 11, 2026 | New Zealand Winegrower
New Zealand’s wine industry produces around 100,000 tons of grape pomace and pruning waste annually, and its forestry sector generates more than five million tons of wood residue. With no current high-value use, these waste streams represent only cost. But as rich sources of carbon, they can be made into biochar and compost for vineyard soils. Researchers at Lincoln University have been testing these waste products on Marlborough soils with promising results.
The Future of Disease Management Is (Almost) Now
June 1, 2026 | WineBusiness Monthly
With so many new high-tech tools and techniques coming to market to help manage grape diseases, how do growers decide what to adopt? “No matter what new technology emerges, successful disease management still hinges on time-tested principles of grape pathology,” writes Cornell University’s Katie Gold. In this article, she shares her framework to assess the options. “The goal is to help you ask the right questions of product representatives, researchers and of your own operation before you invest time or money,” she says. “After all, the smartest tool in the shed is an informed grower.”
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