Ingredients

In a bid to save our planet's wine from the problematic effects of climate change, the China National Space Administration actually blasted a selection of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinor Noir vines up into space in the new space lab Tiangong-2.

The wine plants will be hanging out in space until October, when Beijing will then send a follow-up team of two researchers to observe any genetic changes for another 30 days.

According to a report by wine magazine Decanter, the goal of the project is to see whether outer space "will trigger mutations in the vines that may make them more suitable for the harsh climate in some of ... China’s emerging vineyard regions."

Decanter added that researchers are hoping that exposure to “space radiation” will trigger genetic changes in the vines that will ultimately enable them to “evolve new resistance to coldness, drought and viruses.”

Unfavorable soil and freezing temperatures have been some of the most serious challenges faces wine producers today, particularly in places such as Ningxia, a region that is home to some of the top vineyards in China. However, it can hit below -13 degrees Fahrenheit there in the winter, per the Guardian.

"The best Chinese wine I’ve ever tasted in my life is produced just outside of Beijing,” Fongyee Walker, a China-based wine specialist said in a recent interview with The Guardian. "Beautiful wine... Blind tasting you wouldn’t even know they were Chinese.”

Hopefully these vines do prove themselves resilient, and capable of withstanding extreme temperatures.

Instructions

Print This Recipe

In a bid to save our planet's wine from the problematic effects of climate change, the China National Space Administration actually blasted a selection of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinor Noir vines up into space in the new space lab Tiangong-2.

The wine plants will be hanging out in space until October, when Beijing will then send a follow-up team of two researchers to observe any genetic changes for another 30 days.

According to a report by wine magazine Decanter, the goal of the project is to see whether outer space "will trigger mutations in the vines that may make them more suitable for the harsh climate in some of ... China’s emerging vineyard regions."

Decanter added that researchers are hoping that exposure to “space radiation” will trigger genetic changes in the vines that will ultimately enable them to “evolve new resistance to coldness, drought and viruses.”

Unfavorable soil and freezing temperatures have been some of the most serious challenges faces wine producers today, particularly in places such as Ningxia, a region that is home to some of the top vineyards in China. However, it can hit below -13 degrees Fahrenheit there in the winter, per the Guardian.

"The best Chinese wine I’ve ever tasted in my life is produced just outside of Beijing,” Fongyee Walker, a China-based wine specialist said in a recent interview with The Guardian. "Beautiful wine... Blind tasting you wouldn’t even know they were Chinese.”

Hopefully these vines do prove themselves resilient, and capable of withstanding extreme temperatures.

Chinese Scientists Are Now Growing Wine In Space

In a bid to save our planet's wine from the problematic effects of climate change, the China National Space Administration actually blasted a selection of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinor Noir vines up into space in the new space lab Tiangong-2.

The wine plants will be hanging out in space until October, when Beijing will then send a follow-up team of two researchers to observe any genetic changes for another 30 days.

According to a report by wine magazine Decanter, the goal of the project is to see whether outer space "will trigger mutations in the vines that may make them more suitable for the harsh climate in some of ... China’s emerging vineyard regions."

Decanter added that researchers are hoping that exposure to “space radiation” will trigger genetic changes in the vines that will ultimately enable them to “evolve new resistance to coldness, drought and viruses.”

Unfavorable soil and freezing temperatures have been some of the most serious challenges faces wine producers today, particularly in places such as Ningxia, a region that is home to some of the top vineyards in China. However, it can hit below -13 degrees Fahrenheit there in the winter, per the Guardian.

"The best Chinese wine I’ve ever tasted in my life is produced just outside of Beijing,” Fongyee Walker, a China-based wine specialist said in a recent interview with The Guardian. "Beautiful wine... Blind tasting you wouldn’t even know they were Chinese.”

Hopefully these vines do prove themselves resilient, and capable of withstanding extreme temperatures.