Temperature, humidity and light are important for grapes. Hot and dry climate is ideal. Areas with high humidity and high rainfall are not suitable. Mild temperature, not exceeding 35°C in summers, impairs the fruiting of vinifera grapes, particularly, in Thompson Seedless. Higher night temperatures (above 25°C) during ripening hamper the colour development in coloured grapes. Cool nights and hot days even though congenial for coloured grapes, pink pigmentation develops in green grapes if the diurnal differences are more than 20°C during ripening. The total amount of rainfall is not the criterion, but the timing, frequency and duration of rainfall are important considerations for grape cultivation. Rainfall during flowering, and berry ripening cause enormous damage to grapes. If rains coincide with flowering, the panicles are destroyed by downy mildew. Rains during ripening cause berry cracking and rotting.

Grapes are grown on a variety of soils in India, alluvial in north, heavy black clay in Maharashtra and north Karnataka, red loam in southern Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and very light sandy soils in Andhra Pradesh. Soil with good drainage and water-holding capacity in a pH range of 6.5—7.5 is ideally-suited for grapes.