Rejuvenation

Community-mindedness Shines

By Andrew Dembina

Napa Valley AVA had suffered a handful of times in the past decade from threats of fire as annual drought conditions in the autumn months around crucial harvest time cause hardship that does not seem to have been eased by attempts at better irrigation, water conservation at wineries and the tightening up of safety around all public and private electrical installations.

This year, Napa Valley was affected by what has been named the Glass Fire, as it originated – from causes unconfirmed – in the Glass Mountain Road vicinity of Deer Park, eastcentral of Napa County, just outside St. Helena AVA. The wildfire burned from September 27 until October 20. ABC7 News online reported that 67,000 acres (27,114 hectares) throughout California’s wine country – comprising both Napa Valley and Sonoma AVAs fell victim. In Calistoga AVA in the Valley’s far north-west, much of the ornate Castello di Amorosa estate was razed. Newton Vineyard in Spring Mountain AVA was partially destroyed, and establishments along the Silverado Trail were impacted, among many others affected.

“We are living in the worst year of drought since the late 1970s,” says Julie Johnson, winemaker-owner of Tres Sabores certified organic winery in St. Helena. “Climate change and the consequences have been devastating. I have to say that the folks at Long Meadow Ranch [neighbouring winery and restaurant] and the intrepid and indefatigable members of the Rutherford Volunteer Fire Department are to thank for keeping the Glass Fire from sweeping into [adjoining AVA] Rutherford. “We’ve been asking our customers to support the Napa Valley Community Foundation and Puertas Abiertas, as these organisations have been doing a particularly wonderful job identifying and acting on housing, food and other needs among our community members.”

Other wineries and those in the industry have also been helping neighbours when they could. Napa’s David Abreu Vineyard Management team helped stop Sodhani Vineyards property in St. Helena from burning, and cleared roads to allow water trucks access to Stony Hill Vineyard in Spring Mountain. Amizetta Vineyards and Winery is donating 10 percent of every bottle of 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon it sells on its website to the Napa Valley Community Foundation. Clif Family Winey in St. Helena, with its farmstead in Calistoga badly damaged itself, is working with the Napa County Farm Bureau to distribute food to the worst affected. The Regusci Winery team – of Stags Leap AVA – used their farm equipment and a new fire truck bought by their owner Jim Regusci to protect a few properties in nearby Pope Valley from burning.

It has certainly been heart-warming to learn of people in all areas of the wine community in Napa Valley pitching in to help those who need it. This is an AVA that is, unfortunately, all too familiar with fire damage and smoke taint – not to mention occasional earthquake damage. And perhaps it’s precisely the possibility of disaster that any winery or vineyard can suffer which prompts those in the industry to count their blessings and lend a hand when it happens to someone else’s operation. They would count on the same if the situation was reversed.

Meanwhile, consumers and those in the food and beverage industry can best help by championing the increasingly diverse selection of wines from this region.