California wines unscathed by recent fires
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If you鈥檙e worried wildfires might have created shortages of Northern California鈥檚 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, or even just imparted it with an undesirable smoky flavor, you can relax. The wine is just fine. For now.
Despite a late October blaze that raged through one of the world鈥檚 best-known wine-growing regions, forcing evacuations in two mid-sized towns, wine production in Sonoma County escaped largely unscathed.
Limerick Lane Wines, for instance, avoided serious damage despite flames that licked at two sides of its property in the Russian River Valley just south of Healdsburg. Limerick鈥檚 grapes were already harvested, crushed and stored in tanks and barrels. The winery鈥檚 sealed cellar prevented smoke damage to its inventory, said owner Jake Bilbro, although its tasting room now has an acrid smell.
鈥淚 have to thank the people who planted our vineyards and built our house 100 years ago,鈥 Bilbro said. 鈥淥ur buildings are all surrounded by vineyards, and they are good fire breaks.鈥
Vintners estimate that the region lost only about 5 percent of its harvest to fire and smoke 鈥 not a perfect outcome, but better than in 2017, when wildfire struck with only about 90 percent of the harvest in. The remaining grapes weren鈥檛 all lost, but that year鈥檚 vintages were rumored to have a 鈥渟moky鈥 taste, and winemakers were taking no chances this year.
Many in Sonoma, a sprawling county larger than Rhode Island located about an hour north of San Francisco, say they鈥檙e hoping that fires don鈥檛 become the new normal. But with the smell of smoke lingering in the air and the charred hills serving as a reminder, they鈥檙e also making plans in case they do.
Fire season isn鈥檛 over yet, of course, and the now largely contained Kincade fire did incinerate the historic Soda Rock Winery, although most vineyards sustained no damage and lost no production. But the region has suffered a precipitous drop in fall tourism, which could undermine the economic health of its wineries and hospitality industry alike.
Bret Munselle lost about half of the young vines he had planted just two months before when a fire raged through the upper part of his ranch at Munselle Vineyards in Alexander Valley, between Healdsburg and Geyserville. The drainage below the plants was also damaged, and will probably cost US$150,000 to repair. It could have been much worse if mature vineyards were more appealing to fire.
Water-rich vines and grapes planted in plowed rows don鈥檛 offer them much fuel, he said.
鈥淢y family has lived on this property for 130 years,鈥 Munselle said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e never seen it burn from the tops of mountains to the valley floor.鈥
Climate change is making summers warmer and drying out more forest brush, creating greater fuel reservoirs for wildfire, said Noah Diffenbaugh, a professor of earth system science at Stanford. The late-autumn rains that typically end fire season have started later in recent years, although it鈥檚 not yet clear whether that鈥檚 also climate-related. Oddly enough, those same effects can help protect the grape crop by accelerating ripening of the fruit and reducing the chance that early rains might damage it.
Wine researchers have suggested vineyards might need to adjust harvest times, evaluate what they plant, even move to cooler areas over time.
Few grape growers are dramatically changing their practices yet. No one is talking about closing up shop. But winemakers are tinkering anyway 鈥 and everyone is buying backup generators.
Clay Mauritson of Mauritson Wines said he and his family are experimenting with different pruning methods to increase shade on the plants, although they don鈥檛 see any need to shift to new growing areas.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to be too dramatic or reactionary,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e are going to take baby steps to make sure we鈥檙e prepared for what comes down.鈥
Tourism has taken a serious blow. Evacuations of nearby Healdsburg and Windsor, along with planned blackouts by the region鈥檚 utility, PG&E 鈥 plus, the widespread misperception that the vineyards themselves burned 鈥 led to a rash of cancellations for hotel, restaurant and tasting-room reservations.
Joe Bartolomei, owner of the upscale boutique hotel Farmhouse Inn in Forestville, said he would normally be sold out this time of year. But on November 1, his inn had only two of 25 rooms filled. He鈥檚 trying to get the message out that the county businesses are open.
But, he said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 going to be a slow, gradual education.鈥
Visitor numbers had just started recovering from a similar drop-off following the 2017 fires, said Sonoma County Tourism president Clauda Vecchio.
So the tourism bureau plans to promote wine country as a spring destination rather than fall, and is devoting most of its US$750,000 advertising budget to that end. That means convincing visitors to celebrate 鈥渂ud break,鈥 when green shoots make the vineyards colorful.
The good news, Diffenbaugh said, is that people have a long history of figuring out how to thrive in all kinds of environments.
鈥淗umans are really good at dealing with a variety of different conditions,鈥 he said. 鈥淲hat climate change is doing is changing which conditions occur where.鈥
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