The Heatwave You Can't See

We know heat changes grapes. But what happens to the microscopic life that helps make wine?

The natural waxy bloom covering Pinot Noir grapes provides a home for an invisible ecosystem. Photo by me.

For the second time this year, France is enduring an intense heatwave.

Across the country, hospitals are preparing for an increase in heat-related illness. Rivers have become so warm that thousands of fish have died. In vineyards, work now begins bef…