Climate change and viticulture in Latin America: toward knowledge-based and territory-driven adaptation strategies

Climate change is reshaping global viticulture, and Latin America—characterised by highly diverse climates and uneven scientific and technological capacities—faces differentiated adaptation pressures. This systematic review synthesises peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025 across Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, and Brazil. Using the PRISMA methodology, 43 articles were identified and classified into four adaptation pathways: (1) vineyard expansion into new areas, (2) adaptive agronomic management, (3) protection against extreme climate events, and (4) technological innovation and climate monitoring systems. Results show that, although all four pathways are represented, scientific evidence is strongly dominated by agronomic strategies such as irrigation optimisation, canopy and phenology management, soil conservation, biodiversity enhancement, and the use of drought-tolerant rootstocks or microbial bioinputs. In contrast, key non-agronomic dimensions—including economic feasibility, territorial planning, governance arrangements, and ecosystem-based approaches—remain underexplored, limiting the development of integrated and scalable adaptation frameworks. Spatial expansion toward higher elevations and cooler latitudes is advancing in several regions but is constrained by water availability, frost risk, and insufficient territorial assessments. Technological innovation, particularly climate monitoring and decision-support tools, is progressing rapidly, although accessibility gaps persist for small and medium-scale producers. Overall, this review highlights a critical research gap and underscores the need for territorially grounded, interdisciplinary adaptation strategies that integrate agronomic, socio-economic, and institutional dimensions.