Apocalyptic scenes from California’s scorched wine country
As a perfect blizzard of dry vegetation and gusty, strong breezes continue to fuel the inferno raging through California, the vineyards of Northern California’s famed wine country are feeling the devastating affects of wildfire – and the wine industry may be impacted by flame injury for years to come.
Several wineries reportedly been destroyed and multiple inns servicing tourists to wine country have burned down, including the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country in Santa Rosa. The fire hopped Napa’s Silverado Trail, which is lined with vineyards.
MarketWatch reports that the wine and tourism industries in Northern California could be hit hard by the affects of the fire. Since the fires have struck during grape return season, with cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes still on the vines, the fire to have been able to induce “years-long shortages of wine grapes.”
The Napa Valley Vintners and Sonoma County Vintners, the trade organisations for wineries in Napa and Sonoma districts respectively, are still assessing the damage, and helping to ensure that all vineyard employees and residents get to safety.
“We’re still piecing together information, ” said a representative from Sonoma County Vintners. “The flames are still active. And our main concern right now is ensuring the safety of our team, our members, our colleagues, and the rescuers.”
We’re waking up this morning to reports of multiple fires& mandatory evacs in Napa County. Click here for info https :// t.co/ RJDWurI5 0W
— Napa Valley Vintners (@ NapaVintners) October 9, 2017
Striking images have appeared on social media of threatened or burned vineyards.
Napa vineyard in flames. Apocalyptic enough for you? Photo by Noah Berger via @sfgate. pic.twitter.com/ jp73A6ReXq
— Steve Silberman (@ stevesilberman) October 9, 2017
We evacuated at 5am …. but back now …. Our house and winery are safe for now … We are sooo grateful pic.twitter.com/ P542K2V15F
— Black Cat Vineyard (@ BlackCatWinery) October 9, 2017
I hate posting this but please pray for Napa& Sonoma County! These burns are awful and we need your prayers! If you are one of our clients please seem free to call or email me kelly @asavvyevent. com we don’t know a lot but we are praying for all our families, friends and first responders !!! These fires are no joke! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers Wine Country needs it !!! [?][?][?] #winecountrystrong #sonomastrong #napastrong
Before& after. Signorello Vineyards in Napa #napafire #calfires #winecountry pic.twitter.com/ EMdn6 4nz3z
— Suzanne Espinosa (@ suzyesp) October 9, 2017
Personal pals tears streaming now: Stags Leap Winery( I love you) established in 1893… #TubbsFire #AtlasFire #Napa mt e @nlitenmebabe pic.twitter.com/ 4b81Oo0Le4
— Trad American Angel (@ RightWingAngel) October 10, 2017
View out my window as I head through #Napa neighborhood near Silverado Resort pic.twitter.com/ pzbF0jTpCq
— Evan Sernoffsky (@ EvanSernoffsky) October 9, 2017
So far, 13 people have died, hundreds have been injured, and 1,500 arrangements have been destroyed as the purposes of the fires.
UPDATE Oct. 10 3 p. m. ET :
The Napa Valley Vintners( NVV) nonprofit trade association said in a statement it has received status updates from more than 100 of our own member wineries, with at least four wineries reporting “total or very significant losses” and nine detailing damage to wineries, builds, and vineyards. A number of facilities in the most affected areas have yet to contact the trade organization.
The NVV notes that, though it is “too early to estimate the economic impact, ” 90 percentage of grapes were harvested before the flames began, and that business associations does not anticipate smoke or fire damage to the largely cabernet sauvignon grapes that remain on the vine.
Read more: http :// mashable.com/ 2017/10/ 10/ wineries-affected-by-fire-california /~ ATAGEND