Recent memory
PAID CONTENT
For some of us it may feel like a long time ago, for others it may seem like yesterday, but last October is when we were all riveted to the news watching the devastating fires burn through Napa and Sonoma Counties. The significance of revisiting this recent memory is that we are starting right now to see the first releases of wines from the 2017 vintage in Northern California. We just started emailing customers and fans of the Skylark Pink Belly dry rosé this week about its pending arrival, which caused us to reflect on the harvest of 2017.
Winemakers, growers and winery owners will be quick to remind you that most of the crop had been picked at the time the fires lit off. That is good news but for those that still had “fruit hanging” the difference between “most” and “all” could have been devastating. Since the flames were extinguished several things have happened. There was one arrest for alleged arson in the case, although it only explains one of the smaller blazes that was quickly extinguished. An investigation into the fire response was completed and found that the systems in place to alert residents to the fires confused those in the fire zone and likely delayed the response by fire fighters when the blazes started.
But what of wine, vines, wineries and the part of the 2017 crop that was awaiting harvest? The grapes that were still unpicked at the time of the fire were the later ripening red varietals. The lion’s share of those still to be harvested were Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Zinfandel and the like. Napa had a larger percentage still to be harvested than Sonoma, which is mostly due to varietal make-up. The wines that are releasing right now are all whites and dry rosés; those would have been picked and therefore are free of smoke taint. For the red varietals that could be tainted by the smoke we are simply not hearing anything yet. Winemakers who escaped without smoke taint have no reason to bring it up, for those that are dealing with the issue they are likely trying to mitigate the damage in any way possible and are reticent to make any pronouncements about their wine at this time. Our only choice is to stay tuned… More on smoke taint below.
We continue to hear that vineyards came through the fires with little or no damage. The water laden vines don’t burn very well and even where they were scorched they are regenerating nicely. Where replanting is required it is minor. This bodes well for the 2018 crop notwithstanding any of the other potential but normal dangers to the crop.
There were no additional wineries lost from the original dozen or so that burned in the fires. At most of those the rebuilding process has already begun as it has for the devastated housing stock. For the wineries that did not sustain damage, and for the industry overall the biggest challenge remains restarting the tourism “engine” that is so vital to the area. Wine country is open for business and there may be no better time than now to visit. Wineries, restaurants and lodging are all open and eager to see you!
Some final words on smoke taint. Smoke taint will only occur after veraison, this is when the grapes turn from green to purple. Once grapes start to change color is when the skins become porous and can absorb the smoke. Dense smoke of nearby fires will cause taint as will the ash from the fires sitting on the skins. Most times with smoke taint it will not reveal itself until the grapes are fermenting; as they bubble the CO2 that is released will contain some smoke essence that is detectable. Like all things in wine there are varying degrees of smoke taint, leading winemakers to wait it out and see how severe the damage is and whether the wine can be salvaged. While there are some chemical processes that can be employed to mitigate the taint, in the most severe cases it is of limited usefulness. When it can’t be fixed the wine is typically bulked out to some private label purveyor and will end up in some low priced wine on a big box shelf. Trust me you will know when you get a wine that has smoke taint, the smell is unmistakable.
If there is a topic you would like to read about or questions on wine, you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d’Alene Press.
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George Balling is co-owner (with his wife Mary Lancaster) of the dinner party, a wine and gift shop in Coeur d’Alene by Costco. George is also published in several other publications around the country. After working in wineries in California and judging many wine competitions, he moved to Coeur d’Alene with Mary more than 10 years ago to open the shop. You can also follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.