October, 14, 2017 California wildfires: Is your favorite wine in danger?

(USAToday) - The third-deadliest fire in California state history has taken lives, homes, businesses and burned some of the nation's most popular vineyards.  Over 8,000 firefighters are battling the 21 wildfires that have ravaged 191,437 acres. At least 3,500 homes ...

October, 13, 2017 Wine Country fires Day 6: Six things to know on Friday

(MercuryNews) - Here are six things to know Friday morning as firefighters enter their sixth day battling several wildfires in Northern California. 1.) Friday morning, Napa police delivered some  good news  to their residents: Overnight, many people were allowed to return to their...

October, 13, 2017 'We Always Rise.' California Winemakers Are Determined to Rebuild After Fires

(Time) - Napa winemaker Clayton Kirchhoff drove down a winding road this week, past singed power lines swinging in the air and houses that had been reduced to little more than rubble beside a swimming pool. Farmers on one property counted their sheep to see how many were left, as big silver tankers...

October, 13, 2017 Wineries Look to Plan B

(Wines&Vines) - Shawn Harmon got the first call for help around 10 a.m. Monday. A truck carrying harvested wine grapes from Lake County to a winery in Napa Valley was blocked from its destination by road closures related to the Atlas Fire. It wasn’t the last such call Harmon, general m...

October, 13, 2017 Glimmer of Hope as Fires Still Blaze

(Wine-Searcher) - A week of unrelentingly grim news about devastating fires in northern California wine country got the slightest glimmer of light Thursday, mostly from Napa County. The best sign is that, while the city of  Calistoga  was added to the evacuation list on Wednesday ...

October, 13, 2017 Disastrous harvest means wine prices could be going up

(CNN) - Here's some bad news: The world is facing a shortage of wine. Spain, Italy and France --which together produce over half the world's wine -- are bracing for their worst harvests in decades after extreme weather damaged grapes.  The pain in Europe, combined with lackluster pr...

October, 12, 2017 Did Vineyards Keep California Wine Country Fires From Getting Worse? Some Say Yes

(KTLA) - Christian Palmaz used hoes, shovels and rakes to keep flames from his family’s 19th century vineyard estate home on the flanks of Mt. St. George in eastern Napa County. But he didn’t have to worry about his vines. They’re green, very much alive, and a stark contrast to...

October, 12, 2017 Smoke and Grape – the Smoke Taint Repercussions

(Fruitionsciences) - The exposure of vineyards and grapes to smoke can result in wines with undesirable sensory characteristics, such as smoky, burnt, bacon, medicinal or ash, usually described as ‘smoke tainted’. The compounds in smoke primarily responsible for the taint are the fre...