DISRUPTING THE WINE WE LOVE

WILLIAM SMITH @willismith_2000 COPY EDITOR & CONTRIBUTOR

WHILE CONTEMPLATING A TOPIC FOR THIS MONTH’S COLUMN, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WAS EXPERIENCING YET ANOTHER “ATMOSPHERIC RIVER,” DUMPING RAIN AND SNOW AT RECORD LEVELS.

In Napa, lying just a few hundred feet above sea level, snow blanketed vineyards and vines. Social media blew up - not just with images most had never before seen, but with lots of concerned wine drinkers asking questions about the impact on the vines. Growers assured their consumers that because bud break had not yet happened, all was fine. Plus, in the face of record drought, moisture in whatever form was most welcome.

Of course, the deluge of rain and snow comes in the midst of record drought in California (and many other places). The impact of a parched wine country is still fresh in the minds of many wine drinkers. In August 2020, several fires, sparked by lightning, ignited dried-out vegetation and tore through Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Yolo and Lake Counties. Nearly one-third of the acreage in Napa County burned. One month later, yet another fire erupted in Napa, consuming 40,000 acres and destroying 1,200 structures – including wineries and luxe resorts. Between August and October of that year, over 400,000 acres burned and much of wine country, while grapes