Grapevines can survive with little water, but wine glasses could still go dry during droughts

Grapevines are drought resistant enough that California’s wineries may be able to dial back the irrigation and keep their plants alive, new research says. That’s good news as the state heads into what looks to be another dry year. There is a catch, however: while the study suggests vines might survive a thirsty spell with minimal watering, it doesn’t say if they’ll still make enough grapes to keep wine glasses full.Researchers investigated how different varieties of grap