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Highlights • The effect of trimming around 40–60% of shoot length was evaluated. • Vine water status was determined through stem water potential and carbon isotope ratio analyses. • Positive effects of trimming on vine water status were only observed with warmer and drier climate conditions. • Yield, cluster number and cluster weight were not affected by severe trimming. Abstract Viticulture in Southern Europe heads towards a scenario of drier and warmer the growing seasons due to climate change. This decrease in the amount of water available for the vines and increase in evapotranspiration make necessary finding strategies to reduce vineyard water needs. In this context, the effect of severe trimming (40–60% of shoot length), performed at pea-size stage, on plant water status was evaluated in four different vineyards located in North of Spain. Severe trimming improved plant water status clearly only when climate conditions were more demanding, whereas only a slight improvement or no change was observed elsewhere. Lower leaf areas resulted in less water deficit following a logarithmical trend revealing that the effect was more pronounced at low leaf area levels. Severe trimming had non-significant effects on cluster number, yield and cluster weight, but presents a tendency to reduce total soluble solids content and to increase total acidity, consequently delaying ripening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]