A century-old olive farmer from Zakros once remarked that he had never seen an olive tree dry out in his lifetime—until now. His words echo a growing reality across Greece: climate change is altering the fate of the country’s most iconic crops, olives and grapes.
Farmers and agricultural experts report that shifting microclimates are already transforming traditional cultivation zones. In areas once unsuitable for grapes, vineyards now thrive, while olive trees are being pushed to higher elevations. A study by the National Observatory of Athens shows Greece’s average temperature has risen by 1.5°C over the past 30 years, combined with prolonged drought, creating suffocating conditions for crops.
Olives on the move
According to agronomist Ilias Kantaros, olive groves in southern Greece are increasingly struggling, with younger trees drying out, while those in more northern regions are faring better. He predicts cultivation zones will gradually shift northward, with viable olive production extending beyond Larisa. “Olives will still grow in Crete and the Peloponnese, but the work will become harder,” he explained.
The trees themselves react to stress by curling their leaves to reduce water loss, dropping fruit, or halting growth altogether—directly reducing yields. Greece counts some 260 million olive trees, yet only a fraction remain economically productive, yielding around 200,000 to 250,000 tons of oil annually.
In southern Spain, farmers facing a 36-month drought have tried severe pruning to cut leaf surface, with promising results. Greek producers, too, are searching for adaptation strategies.
Grapes under pressure
Wine production is equally vulnerable. Warmer conditions mean grapes ripen faster, forcing harvests weeks earlier than in the past. “Varieties adapted for centuries to specific climates are now ripening under entirely new conditions,” said Professor Stefanos Kountouras of Aristotle University in Thessaloniki.
Santorini, one of Greece’s most celebrated wine regions, illustrates the danger. Once producing up to 3,000 tons of grapes, the island yielded only 300 tons this year. The collapse is not just about smaller harvests but disappearing vineyards altogether, in a place where dry soil and scarce water make survival precarious. By contrast, northern regions like Macedonia retain fertile soil and water reserves, offering stronger defenses.
Experts warn that the removal of older, deep-rooted vineyards in many areas has worsened resilience, while surviving traditional vines in parts of Messinia adapt more successfully to harsh new conditions.
Quality concerns for wine
For winemakers, the challenge is not only lower yields but also preserving quality. “Each grape variety requires a narrow range of energy during summer to ripen properly,” explained Achilleas Lampsidis, co-founder of Strofilia winery. “When heat accelerates ripening, it’s like cooking a dish fast in a pressure cooker instead of slowly in a pot—the result is different.”
Rising temperatures are shifting the geography of viticulture, with vineyards climbing to higher altitudes. While a 400-meter rise may offset warming by a few degrees, experts caution that drought, heatwaves, labor shortages, and infrastructure gaps in mountainous regions complicate the solution.
Dining and Cooking