NAPA/SONOMA, CA—Despite Mother Nature challenging Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Solano and Lake Counties in the cruelest of ways, the tragic wildfires of the past 12 days have demonstrated the spirit of strength and resilience of everyone in Northern California. Across the North Bay region, more than 40 lives were lost, thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed, and the natural landscape of the area's forests and hillsides will take years to recover.

In spite of this devastating human toll, reports of wine industry damage in the Napa Valley do not appear to be widespread. The fires burned predominantly in the forested hillsides. The beloved Napa Valley floor, located between Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail, saw little to no impact from the fires. Direct damage from the fires was reported by 47 Napa Valley Vintners member wineries out of 330 wineries and just a handful experienced significant property loss.

“Much of this week's news has focused on how the fires will impact Napa Valley's wine industry,” said Michael Honig, chair of the Napa Valley Vintners board of directors and president of Honig Vineyard & Winery. “Winemaking is, indeed, our heart and soul and our biggest economic driver. But, first and foremost, these events are a human tragedy with lives lost and personal property destroyed. While we are eager to 'get back to normal,' we also have to keep the proper perspective.”

First responders now have the upper hand with the eastern Napa/western Solano County Atlas Fire at more than 80% containment, the Nuns Fire (a combination of five different fires on the west side of Napa Valley/east side of Sonoma and Santa Rosa) at more than 80% containment, and the Tubbs fire west of Calistoga and north of Santa Rosa at more than 90% containment.

“We are enormously grateful to the first responders, law enforcement personnel, community leaders and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to help our communities,” said Honig. “We are also humbled and honored by the unprecedented outpouring of support and generosity from our friends around the world. Those inquiries, kind words and expressions of compassion helped us to get through this terrible time.”

Vintners are very optimistic about the quality of the 2017 vintage and the winemaking that was already underway when the fires started. For those grapes picked after the fires started, winemakers are diligently inspecting them and having the wines from those grapes laboratory-tested for the possible effects of smoke.

The volume of the 2017 vintage will be lower than average. How much lower is undetermined, but early, anecdotal estimates project shortages to be comparable to other years affected by the common irregularities of farming, such as drought, frost damage, etc. While some vineyards may need replanting, the actual number is not yet known and may not be understood until future growing seasons.

Napa Valley accounts for just 4% of all the wine made in California. Even if there are some losses for the 2017 vintage, there will be virtually no impact on the greater volume of California wine industry, GlobeSt.com learns.

In addition, the Grape Growers Foundation is partnering with the Sonoma County Farm Bureau to establish a housing recovery fund for agricultural workers and their families who were displaced from their homes by the fires. The fund will help to fund the re-establishment of new households, GlobeSt.com learns.

“Obviously, the fires have impacted everyone who lives in Sonoma County in a variety of ways and for our ag workers, the impact was particularly severe. Knowing that a home provides a family with stability and comfort, we are committed to getting all of our displaced ag employees into temporary housing as quickly as possible,” said Karissa Kruse, president of Sonoma County Winegrowers, who is also serving as the executive director of the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization.

Another challenge affecting the entire Napa Valley is that most wineries and visitor-serving businesses have been closed during what is normally one of the busiest times of the year. This was due to the focus on public safety, putting out the fires, power outages, road closures, communications challenges and the inability for evacuated employees to report to work.

According to Visit Napa Valley, the region is beginning to reopen for business. Wine lovers can also help by enjoying a bottle or glass of a favorite Napa Valley wine. Now more than ever, Napa Valley's wineries, workers and community need this support.

Instant Insights /

Fire Crews Get Upper Hand in Burn Zones

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