There's an old saying that stressed vines make better wine, whichmay mean in some cases that less irrigation produces tastier grapes. There's no place better than California, with the extra urgency imposed by the drought, to test the adage. Irrigated vineyards offer growers more control over water than is possible for other states and countries that depend upon natural rainfall. A UC Davis research team has found they can influence the quality of wine by manipulating irrigation quantities. They have found that less water at key times changes some flavors and aromas during the growth of certain red grapes, although it's not completely clear how the changes occur or when to use less water. Their work will not be of practical value until they develop specific and reliable irrigation strategies that produce the best results. "It would save water, that's for sure," says Hans Schultz, a postdoctoral researcher in Professor Mark A. Matthews' laboratory in the viticulture and enology department. "People tend to like the stressed wines more." Another beneficial effect of restricted water use is that less water leads to less foliage, which shades and saps needed energy from the grapes.