California Wine Region Fires, Harvest & Heartbreak
From Sonoma, Napa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Anderson Valley & Beyond
August is typically too early for fires to visit us in California wine country. Generally, these fires occur in October when the growing season is finished. So, the current situation with the Northern California Complex Fires it is very challenging for California vineyards, winemakers, and employees affected by the fires raging through wine country. The Complex Fires include:
AUGUST Complex: Mendocino County, Lake County
CZU Complex: Santa Cruz mountains and Santa Cruz and San Mateo County coastal areas
LNU Complex Healdsburg and Russian River areas; Lake, Yolo and Solano counties; and Napa and Sonoma wine country
SCU Complex: Alameda, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties
Thankfully, since the fires began a little over a week ago, Anderson Valley has not had any fires and, compared to neighboring regions, has had very minimal smoke within the valley at this point. Anderson Valley benefits from the afternoon Pacific Ocean breeze. On days smoke has entered the valley, this has helped to clear the smoke, as seen in this photo of the Charles Vineyard in Boonville.
A Statewide Crisis – The Complex Fires Series
As the 2020 harvest season begins around the state, we are reminded how Mother Nature plays to the beat of her own drum and can be completely unpredictable. Late on the evening of August 16th, 2020, many Californians found themselves mesmerized by the symphony of sounds and the electrifying currents and colors of the evening sky.
The trouble with lightning fires is that there can be fires smoldering beneath the ground undetected before coming to the surface. Needless to say, we are far from being out of the woods from the current firestorm – even when the current fires are contained.
Photographer Steve Zmak captured this image during the lightning storm that was displayed over the Monterey Peninsula, Caramel Valley, and the northern end of Big Sur. At one point he reports winds were 45mph with 60mph gust. Unfortunately, the storm has led to several fires, evacuations, and properties burned in the South Bay area. We know Steve from when he photographed the Milky Way from the Charles Vineyard in Anderson Valley back in October 2017.
Wine Spectator reports that Cal Fire officials believe almost 11,000 lightning strikes struck around the state of California last week. The last reported number of known fires has exceeded 500.
This image was taken the morning after the storm by Jessica Ritchie Box, wife to Anderson Valley Briney Glimmer winemaker Wesley Box. They reside in Cotati, a small wine country town in western Sonoma County. You can see lightning striking Sonoma Mountain in the distance. Currently, the town is not under evacuation orders despite the nearby Northern California Complex Fires burning in Sonoma, Napa, and Solano counties that have blackened hundreds of thousands of acres and destroyed almost one thousand structures at the time of writing this.
Impact Goes Far & Wide
The obvious impact is on the safety of first responders, and to the homes and communities affected. Due to the time of year, there are also significant impacts to the businesses and employees within the wine industry, as reported by Esther Mobley of the San Francisco Chronicle. Not only is there a concern about protecting the homes and structures threatened by the fire, but also to ensure the safety of employees as they try and protect the current grape vintage.
Some Grapes right now are in the very sensitive time of veraison or are nearing harvest (as seen in this photo from the Filigreen Farm vineyard). Grapes that have yet to complete the transition where sugar energy fully ripens the fruit are at risk of smoke compounds binding and resulting in tasting faults if the smoke lingers too long. This is the biggest concern right now in our neighboring wine regions who are dealing directly with the fires.
For grapes being harvested in the fire and smoky areas, the wine produced may not have smoke taint, however, the workers who are bringing those grapes in are subjecting their health as they work ferociously in high heat (from fire and outdoor temperatures) to get the fruit off the vines and into the cellar. With the current shortage of N95 respirator masks, California vineyard harvest crews are facing a very difficult time right now.
Anderson Valley Has Been Spared
Fortunately, the Anderson Valley has so far been spared from fire. Until recently skies have been mostly clear and we are blessed from the winds that tend to blow inland from the nearby Pacific Ocean on the Mendocino Coast. The 2020 harvest in our wine region has already begun with our sparkling wine producers and those producing rosé of Pinot Noir. Still, wine producers will begin harvest in the coming weeks and most of our fruit will be off the vines by mid-October.
Power in Community
While relatively unaffected, still, the heavyweight in our stomachs is ongoing, and our hearts are breaking as we witness the devastation that is occurring within our very own Garden of Eden (California), and to our friends and neighbors in nearby communities. Currently, our lodging establishments and personal residences are welcoming in refugees seeking shelter as they are being evacuated.
Donations to help and support first responders can be made to any of the following organizations:
Mendocino County Disaster Fund
Fire Prevention Grant Programs
Sonoma County Vintners Emergency Fund
Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund
~ Courtney DeGraff, Executive Director of the Anderson Valley Winegrowers
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