Implications of a Changing Agro-Ecosystem on the Nascent Wine Grape Production Industry in Idaho

Wine-grape growing in the state of Idaho is just now coming into its own. Unlike traditional and established row crops, sustainable wine grape production requires the encouragement and development of new agricultural capacity in the state. Concurrently, creating a sustainable wine grape production culture in the state may be constrained and impacted by a changing climate and related stresses on the ecosystem of the semi-arid inland northwest. An understanding of the effect that a changing ecosystem will have on the viability of growing wine grapes, as well as an examination of the challenges that both farmers and policymakers will face in developing and maintaining wine grape production is critical to the successful establishment of a vibrant viticulture in Idaho.