I’ve two Actinidia arguta, or “Hardy Kiwi” vines. Just as the larger, ‘Fuzzy kiwi,’ the hardies appear to like a deep mulch and regular summer watering. A year ago I failed to keep up with the watering and attribute that to the death of one of my 2 hardy kiwis… Wasn’t an extremely hot summer, just neglect on my part, but it ‘proved’ to me that they need summer irrigation here in the Willamette Valley.

They’re not as resourceful as grape vines. Grapes, after some watering for the first 3 or so years, will send their roots wherever necessary to find water. Hardy Kiwi appear to me, as you pointed out, more reliant on a water source, thus could not be expected to ‘one day’ fin for themselves, as grape vines do.