The global increase in extreme weather and climate events may dramatically impact agriculture, food safety, and socioeconomic dynamics. The Mediterranean basin is already exposed to extreme climatic events, severely challenging viticulture, a pivotal Mediterranean agro–industry. This study aims to understand better how climate is expected to evolve in six viticulturally important Mediterranean regions in Portugal, Italy, Turkey and Morocco, using a 4–member ensemble of climatic model projections under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 for 2041–2070, and using the 1981–2010 period as a baseline. By comparing the main specific challenges these locations will face, we comparatively define the best strategies to reduce the impacts of climate change at the national and regional levels. Projections show increases in overall temperatures, up to + 3.6°C than the historical baseline, whilst precipitation projections indicate decreases that could reach 36% of the overall annual precipitation. Biological effective degree days, consecutive dry days, growing season length, tropical nights, or very heavy precipitation days, also show challenging prospects for viticulture in these countries. A screening of the adaptative strategies already undertaken in the studied countries suggests that growers are taking reactive rather than preventive strategies. Moreover, the discussion of the most suitable strategies in this study is region–specific, i.e., prioritised by the specific needs of each location. The conclusions drawn herein may support local growers, improving their decision–making based on the most adequate adaptive strategies to their conditions, thus optimising their sustainable production under changing climates.

Extreme climate events are increasingly frequent, and the 2017 summer was particularly critical in the Mediterranean region. Olive is one of the most important species of this region, and these climatic events represent a threat to this culture. However, it remains unclear how olive trees adjust the antioxidant enzymatic system and modulate the metabolite profile under field stress conditions. Leaves from two distinct adjacent areas of an olive orchard, one dry and the other hydrated, were harvested. Tree water status, oxidative stress, antioxidant enzymes, and phenolic and lipophilic metabolite profiles were analyzed. The environmental conditions of the 2017 summer caused a water deficit in olive trees of the dry area, and this low leaf water availability was correlated with the reduction of long-chain alkanes and fatty acids. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and superoxide radical (O₂^•–) levels increased in the trees collected from the dry area, but lipid peroxidation did not augment. The antioxidant response was predominantly marked by guaiacol peroxidase (GPOX) activity that regulates the H₂O₂ harmful effect and by the action of flavonoids (luteolin-7-O-glucuronide) that may act as reactive oxygen species scavengers. Secoiridoids adjustments may also contribute to stress regulation. This work highlights for the first time the protective role of some metabolite in olive trees under field drought conditions.

The Douro Demarcated Region (DDR) is a worldwide acknowledged winemaking region. Climate change is threatening the sector, as climatic shifts are expected. This work analyzed environmental and genetic traits modulating the rhizobiome of four vineyards in the DDR, focusing on understanding the hierarchy of ecological conductors for these communities. These vineyards’ terroir was environmentally, genetically, and culturally characterized. Rhizosphere bacterial community composition was analyzed using 16S metabarcoding from soil samples collected between July 2022 and January 2024. Results support the hypothesis of an ecological profiling hierarchy. The soil physicochemical properties likely acted as a primary environmental modulator, determining the composition of the bacterial microbiome and contributing to the diversity and richness of the bacterial communities. The major drivers among the soil’s physiochemistry were organic/inorganic profile, mainly influenced by organic matter content and pH. Rootstock genotype appears to exert a secondary selection on the microbiome, focusing on the microorganisms’ functional traits. The 1103-P rootstock positively influenced the abundance of copiotrophic bacteria, compared to the R110, demonstrating that the first recruits a more versatile, exploratory, and expansionist microbiome, whilst the second focuses on attracting a highly specialized community, more focused on maximizing energy gathering and optimizing resource use. This work demonstrates that the microbial terroir is a result of multiple factors, promoting abiotic modulation and host-mediated selection, which establishes a very specific community for each scenario. The assessment of these holistic dynamics is fundamental to establishing a baseline for future precision viticulture strategies, namely bio-inoculants, to support and promote a better grapevine adaptation to climate change.