California Wine Industry Surviving Despite Fires
Worried that the recent rash of wildfires in California has created shortages of Northern California’s many fine wines?
Don’t fret, despite late October fires that blazed through one of the best-known wine-growing regions in the world, wine production in Sonoma County escaped mostly unscathed, according to a recent report by the Associated Press.
In California’s Russian River Valley, winery Limerick Lane Wines, escaped serious damage despite flames that came from two sides of its property just south of Healdsburg. The grapes had already been harvested, crushed and stored in tanks and barrels. Further, the sealed cellar of the winery stopped smoke from damaging the inventory, owner Jake Bilbro told the AP.
“I have to thank the people who planted our vineyards and built our house 100 years ago,” Bilbro said. “Our buildings are all surrounded by vineyards, and vineyards are excellent fire breaks.”
After the fires, wineries in the area estimated that the region lost only about 5% of the harvest this year to fire and smoke. That number is better than 2017, when wildfire struck down with only around 90% of the harvest in. That year the grapes weren’t all lost, but vintages that year were rumored to have a smoky taste. This year, winemakers took no chances.
Fire season is still not over, but the now largely controlled Kincade fire did burn down the historic Soda Rock Winery. Most vineyards sustained no damage however and lost no production.
But fall tourism has dropped significantly this year in the region, which could hurt the economic health of wineries and the hospitality industry there.
Climate change is making summers warmer and drying out more forest brush, creating greater fuel reservoirs for wildfire, Noah Diffenbaugh, a professor of earth system science at Stanford told the AP. The late-autumn rains that typically end fire season have started later in recent years, although it’s not yet clear whether that’s also climate-related.
But, those same effects can help protect the grape crop by accelerating the ripening of the fruit, and reducing the chance that early rains can damage it.
Some experts have suggested that vineyards should adjust harvest times, or even possibly move to cooler areas over time.
Because of fire risks and lower visitor numbers as a result of recent fires, the Sonoma County Tourism bureau now plans to promote wine country as a spring destination rather than fall. The agency plans to devote most of its $750,000 advertising budget to that end.
“Humans are really good at dealing with a variety of different conditions,” said Sonoma County Tourism president Clauda Vecchio. “What climate change is doing is changing which conditions occur where.”
For comments, questions or concerns, please contact David Cohen
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