Europe’s oldest vineyards threatened by solar power

Spain's prized D.O. Toro region, home to some of Europe's oldest Tempranillo vineyards, is facing an unexpected threat. Rather than climate change, it's EU subsidies encouraging solar panel installation on farmland that's putting ancient vines at risk. Some landowners are switching from grape-growing to renewable energy production because the financial returns are simply better. These ungrafted vines, some dating back 200 years, have survived because they produce exceptional wine, but now they're disappearing as a result of subsidy-driven market distortion.