Bordeaux Winegrowers Confront Climate Change With Irrigation, New Grapes and Shifting Traditions

In the Bordeaux region, winegrowers and researchers are facing a period of rapid change as climate conditions continue to shift. This year, harvests began earlier than usual, with some estates starting as early as August 17. Despite the intense heat and drought that affected the area, some producers expect an exceptional vintage. At Château Lafleur in Pomerol, owner Baptiste Guinaudeau made the controversial decision to irrigate his most prestigious plot. Irrigation is generally prohibited under the strict rules of the Pomerol appellation, except in rare emergencies and only in limited amounts. By choosing to irrigate, Guinaudeau’s wine lost its right to carry the Pomerol name.

Guinaudeau argues that traditional rules are outdated. He points out that these regulations were created when irrigation was used to increase yields at the expense of terroir identity. Now, he says, climate change is threatening the very character of Bordeaux wines. After fifteen years of dry conditions, he felt compelled to act to preserve quality, even if it meant stepping outside the boundaries of the appellation.

The use of water for irrigation raises questions about resource sharing, especially as water is drawn from overflow basins or deep wells. Researchers at INRAE, France’s national institute for agricultural research, believe that grapevines themselves offer a solution. They describe the vine as a “miracle plant” capable of producing high-quality wine with minimal water. For more than a decade, scientists have been developing new rootstocks that can withstand both drought and excessive moisture—two extremes that are becoming more common due to climate change.

Elisa Marguerit, a researcher at the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences in Bordeaux, explains that while some rootstocks already help vines survive dry spells, more versatile options are needed. These new rootstocks are still several years away from commercial use. In the meantime, nature appears to be adapting on its own. Experiments over the past fourteen years have shown that Merlot—a classic Bordeaux grape—has demonstrated surprising resilience to recent heatwaves and droughts.

While researchers work on long-term solutions, some winegrowers are turning to new grape varieties that can better withstand disease and extreme weather. In Civrac-de-Blaye, a cooperative is harvesting souvignier gris at night to avoid daytime heat. This hybrid grape is a cross between a German white variety and cabernet sauvignon. It resists fungal diseases like mildew and powdery mildew, which have become more common with climate change. As a result, growers can reduce chemical treatments by up to six times compared to traditional varieties.

Thierry Bergeon cultivates four hectares of souvignier gris and notes that its thicker leaves and skins also protect against certain insects and moderate hailstorms. The grape is also known for its cold tolerance. Damien Malejacq, marketing director for Tutiac—a large cooperative representing 400 growers—says adapting vineyards is essential as extreme weather events become more frequent.

Tutiac began testing 14 resistant grape varieties in 2014 in partnership with INRAE and local agricultural authorities. After several years of micro-vinifications and blind tastings, they selected souvignier gris for white wines and vidoc for reds as their top choices for larger-scale planting. Soreli was added later for white production. Today, 34 hectares are planted with these resistant varieties.

To market wines made entirely from these new grapes, Tutiac chose to use the Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP) Atlantique label instead of the stricter Bordeaux AOC designation. The AOC limits resistant varieties to just 5% of vineyard area and 10% of any blend—too restrictive for those wanting to showcase these grapes’ qualities directly to consumers.

Malejacq believes this approach will help attract new wine drinkers who may be looking for different flavors or more sustainable options. Thierry Bergeon agrees there is a market for these wines among younger or less traditional consumers.

Michel-Éric Jacquin, president of the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur appellations—which account for half of all Bordeaux production—supports giving growers more flexibility by moving from AOC to IGP status for some wines. He argues that new grape varieties offer fresh flavors that could appeal to consumers who have turned away from traditional red wines.

Other cooperatives in the region are following similar paths. Berticot-Graman in Lot-et-Garonne has been experimenting with hybrid grapes like vidoc, floréal, marselan and arinarnoa since 2016. These efforts feed into their own IGP Atlantique range.

As climate change continues to challenge established practices in Bordeaux’s vineyards, both tradition and innovation are shaping how growers respond—sometimes by trusting nature’s resilience and sometimes by embracing new technology or grape varieties outside long-standing rules. The future of Bordeaux wine may depend on how quickly both vines and regulations can adapt to a changing world.