How a Brutal Wildfire Season Can Lead to Tainted Wine in California

It has already been a devastating wildfire season for much of California. In addition to the loss of land and structures, the fires may also change the way that the latest wine varietals taste. Here is what you need to know about how the California wildfires may affect your favorite wine.

How the Wildfires Burning in Northern California Could Impact Your Wine

Wine experts are growing increasingly worried that the wildfires burning across Northern California this year will impact the grape harvest across the region's famed vineyards. The compounds generated by the smoke from the fires can become integrated into the process of producing wine. This is especially true for red wines.

The smoky and ashy undertones begin to present themselves after the fermentation process. This is what winemakers refer to as smoke-tainted wine.

The taint of smoke is becoming a pressing concern for winemakers as they approach the harvest season in Napa Valley. The Pickett Fire has already scorched nearly 7,000 acres near the town of Calistoga. According to the latest update from CalFire, the fire is now over 90% after igniting on August 21.

Unfortunately, the Pickett Fire is burning at the worst possible time for winemakers. Harvest season typically kicks off in September or October. The time leading up to the harvest is known as the veraison. This is when the grapes are the most vulnerable to the impacts of the wildfire smoke.

Smoke taint negatively affects the taste of the wine as it overpowers the natural fruit characteristics of the wine. This brings down the overall quality and value of the wine. Some wine could be left unsellable in the most severe cases of smoke taint.

Red wines tend to be the most susceptible to smoke taint. This is because the production of these types of varietals necessitates longer periods of contact between the skin of the grapes and the juice, allowing the smoke compounds to linger. Varietals such as Zinfandel, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon are more likely to take on a burnt flavor if exposed to the smoke.

Conversely, white wines and rosés are typically less impacted. This is because the juice is separated from the grape skins more swiftly after the harvest.

Timing is everything when it comes to wildfire proliferation and harvest season. Winemakers were spared a disaster in 2017 when the massive Tubbs Fire roared to life just after the harvest. The catastrophic 2020 wildfire season caused some vintners to have to throw out that year's vintage completely, leading to significant economic loss.

For this reason, winemakers throughout Napa Valley are closely monitoring the progress of the Pickett Fire. The closer a vineyard is to the source of the fire, the more likely that it will experience smoke taint. This becomes more true if the prevailing winds are able to carry the smoke across the grapevines for long periods of time.

The economic damages stretch well beyond the quality and viability of the wine. The wine region is a major tourist destination in California. Millions of dollars are poured into this tourist region every year. Calistoga has been left reeling as the Pickett Fire continues to rage, forcing visitors to cancel their trips.