The future of wine: what can Israel’s desert vineyards teach Europe?
Euronews, January 2021
In the Negev Desert, the sun beams down onto desolate earth. The air is dry and the land arid.
But up on a mountain ridge near the town of Mitzpe Ramon, rows of vines sprout from the scorched soil — the only glimmer of green in a barren landscape.
This is no desert mirage. Those sprouts are part of an experimental vineyard where researchers are investigating how grapes can grow under the extreme conditions that dominate this region in southern Israel.
The Negev, meaning “the dry” in Hebrew, only receives about 10 centimetres of rain each year, much of which disappears in flash floods. Temperatures can reach 38 degrees Celsius during the day and drop below zero during winter nights. Still, more than two dozen wineries have sprung up in the area over the last decade or so, along with a thriving wine tourism business.
[Continue reading on Euronews]
