This is a repost of an article in the New York Times on the Israeli wine growing industry in the Negev desert and how it is essential for it
"The techniques being tested here on 30 varieties of grapes include the use of nets that provide shade, trellises that coax vines to grow in formations that limit sun exposure, sensors that measure soil humidity and thermal cameras that track how much sunlight grapes and leaves absorb."
This article is interesting as it speaks to Israel's necessity to 'make the desert bloom', not that it's as essential to survival as water desalination, despite the fact that people have been making wine in these parts for thousands of years.
But it's a region that bears a lot of similarities to other Mediterranean regions that are known for their wine such as Italy, Portugal, and Spain. California and Australia are not that far off either. These regions are becoming increasingly, with hotter and longer dry seasons, and more intense rain bursts.
Israeli researchers here are even uncovering the benefits of being in this dryer climate. From the article: "With its dry climate, Negev vintners might spray fungicide twice a season, whereas some European counterparts spray every week."
The world is changing and in conjunction with trying to stop that change it's important that technology be used to adapt to these instabilities as well.