Smoke from California wildfires could sour grapes awaiting harvest, wineries say
While hundreds of lightning-sparked wildfires burning in California seem to have spared wineries so far, vintners say smoke and evacuations still pose a risk the fall wine harvest.
“I think there’s a better chance than not that we make almost no wine this year,” said Noah Dorrance of Reeve Wines in Healdsburg in Sonoma County, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Evacuations could hinder harvesting, but the bigger danger may be posed by thick plumes of smoke generated by the fires, which have burned more than 1.4 million acres.
“There’s always a concern about smoke taint when it’s around,” said Jesse Fox of Amici Cellars in Calistoga in Napa Valley, Food and Wine reported. “But wind direction and flow are most important. The mornings have been crystal clear and cool, and that prevents the smoke from settling low. The smoke is staying in the upper atmosphere and not falling on grapes.”
Jon Ruel, chief executive of the Trefethen Family Vineyards winery, said he’s not worried about the Napa Valley harvest as long as the fires and smoke stay mostly in the rugged foothills, The New York Times reported.
“I’m calm,” Ruel said, according to the publication. “Every year represents challenges.”
But Dorrance fears smoke from the Sonoma County wildfires has damaged grapes from the vineyards his winery uses, giving them “unpleasantly smoky aromas and flavors,” The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Smoke from wildfires in 2017 damaged grapes still on the vines, giving them an ashy taste, The New York Times reported.
Northern California’s biggest fires struck later in 2018 and 2019, destroying some wineries but coming after the harvest.
One option for vintners worried about smoke damage may be rosé wines, which use less of the grape’s skin, The San Francisco Chronicle reported in another story. The skin is what absorbs most of the damaging compounds from smoke.
“I think this is going to be a big rosé year for us,” says Ken Swegles, a Santa Cruz Mountains viticulturist and a partner in Madson Wines, according to the publication.
This story was originally published August 25, 2020 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Smoke from California wildfires could sour grapes awaiting harvest, wineries say."