Last year, an epic wildfire raged
through California. Many people have since asked; will there be a wine shortage
in the Golden State?
Devastating wildfire
Here at the Ideal Wine Company,
we sell a range of
luxury California wines. The US’ largest wine making state, California boasts
a number of famous wine making areas such as Lake, Napa and Sonoma Counties.
Over the years, they’ve developed a reputation for creating some of the world’s
most sought after vintages from high-quality grapes like Merlot, Pinot Noir and
Cabernet Sauvignon.
In 2015, fierce wildfires ignited
across the state and we wondered whether
it would damage California’s 2015 grape harvest. The fires burned in Lake,
Sonoma and Napa Counties and many producers suggested that smoke taint could
impact their grape harvests. However, industry body the California Wine
Institute said: “The smoke has not
lingered in the vineyards because of winds and many grapes are already picked
because of the abnormally early harvest. Smoke taint impacts grapes that are in
a growing stage of rapid expansion, [but] the grapes are well advanced at this
point.”
Wine shortage
Now, people are asking whether the wildfires could lead to a
California wine shortage, according to The Drinks Business, an online trade portal. They noted that the Guardian US
recently ran a story which suggested that smoke taint has so severely impacted
grape growing regions in the Golden State that it would threaten wine stock
levels this year and drive wine prices higher.
The article suggested that wineries in Sonoma and Napa will
“look North to Lake County for cheaper grapes” to support production. The
publication reportedly paraphrased a statement issued by the California Wine
Institute, noting that smoke taint in Lake County has seriously reduced the
amount of fruit available for wine blending purposes. This has been
categorically denied by the Institute; a spokesperson for the body said “we
find this story to be completely out of context and inaccurate.”
Blown out of proportion
Elaborating, the Institute said
that stock levels wouldn’t be a problem. There has been a 10% rise in
California vineyard acres since 2010, while the state saw record harvests in
2012, 2013 and 2014. The California Wine Institute did warn that 2015s grape
harvest figure will be a lot lower than usual. But it added that increases in
vineyard acres are still “estimated to be high.” Along with record harvests,
this should prevent a California wine shortage.
The Institute also argued that
the smoke taint issue has been blown out of proportion. Continuing, the
spokesperson said: “I’m happy to report that after talking with many other
growers and winemakers, not one test result or sensory assessment has shown a
perceptible level of taint.” Going on, the spokesperson addressed the issue of
prices, saying: “With the recent large harvests, it doesn’t make sense to
suggest increase in prices due to short supply.”
Try California wine
Commenting further, the
spokesperson argued: “[California] wineries are responding to this demand for
upscale products and are offering a huge diversity of wine types and prices.”
If you want to see what kind of luxury products the Golden State produces, buy the
Harlan Estate 1998 from the Ideal Wine Company; this robust California red
will blow your taste buds away!
