See a slideshow of cool Mediterranean animals and plants!

Believe it or not, the drink of the gods hasn't been so divine for the Earth.

Conventional winegrowing has often been at odds with the ecosystems that support great wine grapes — rare and threatened habitats that scientists term "Mediterranean" and which are found from California to Australia to South Africa.

But see the great set of articles below to see how winemaking is beginning to work in harmony with nature — and how The Nature Conservancy is promoting that synergy. Then find out how climate change might affect your favorite wine — and which wines you should be drinking to minimize your carbon footprint!

Wine and Nature

Vineyards and Conservation: A Q&A What's wine got to do with conservation? Find out in this Q&A with Jeffrey Parrish, the Conservancy's director of global Mediterranean habitat conservation.

Will Climate Change Spoil Your Chardonnay? How are winegrowers coping with the effects of climate change? And what does that mean for Mediterranean habitats and your favorite vino?

What's Your Wine's Carbon Footprint? How can you put a cork in your wine's carbon emissions? It depends on which side of the "green line" you live on — so find out!

South Africa's Biodiversity and Wine Initiative See how South Africa is showing the world that winegrowing can be more compatible with wildlife and wildflower conservation.

Find Out More About Mediterranean Habitats

Mediterranean SOS Are people loving Mediterranean habitats to death? Find out in this new feature story from the latest issue of Nature Conservancy magazine — and dive deeper into each of the five Mediterranean habitats.

Slideshow of Mediterranean Plants and Animals See adaptation in action — view this slideshow of cool plants and animals that have adapted in extraordinary ways to their Mediterranean environments.

What's a Mediterranean Habitat, Anyway? Did you know that Mediterranean habitats are being destroyed proportionally faster than even rainforests? Learn more about these fascinating ecosystems — and what's threatening them — in this short FAQ.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photos © Gabor Izso (Grapes on a vine); © iStockphoto.com (King Protea flower); Courtesy Jeffrey Parrish/TNC (Jeffrey Parrish); © Ron Geatz/TNC (South African landscape); © Tyler Colman ("Green Line" map); © Ron Geatz/TNC (Bontebok); © iStockphoto.com (Moroccan goats in Argan tree); © National Park Service (Santa Cruz Island fox); © iStockphoto.com (Bay Checkerspot butterfly)