Grape breeding for resistance to fungal diseases is today very dynamic throughout the world. Though these varieties can provide several benefits and can be planted by winegrowers, they are not always systematically adopted. The aim of this work was to investigate, through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with experts and wine producers, the main opportunities and challenges to the adoption of these new varieties by the producers in the Finger Lakes, an American vineyard where grape breeding is very active. Results showed that the main drivers of adoption were the climatic constraints given the fact that these varieties are generally more cold hardy than traditional cultivars, an overall better profitability and the environmental benefits they provide. The absence of market, the lack of name recognition and the intrinsic quality of their wines were the main obstacles to their adoption. The lessons to be learned for the French wine industry are that the incorporation, in small proportions in blends, of wines from resistant varieties should not be a huge challenge, and that consumers will be the key players in the appropriation of these varieties by producers.