(Forbes) - California’s unprecedented dry spell began in 2011, and has developed into a full-scale water emergency. Across the Golden State, whole populations are going unshowered, millions of toilets are left unflushed. Water wars rage in the Central Valley, the nation’s breadbasket. Lawns are going brown in Beverly Hills.

But what about the vino?

How has something as basic as lack of water affected one of the world’s most celebrated luxury trades? How has drought affected the wine, itself? Is some kind of wine-pocalypse looming?

My itinerary led through meccas of enological and gastronomical delight in a region beloved for its tranquil beauty, known as America’s Provence. There, I sipped, swirled, chewed and chatted with winemakers, farmers, sommeliers, hoteliers, chefs, tourists, and a water witch.

Yes: Water witch (More on that later).

Ironically, that week was one of California’s wettest of the year. Gushing from the skies, water crashed against the windshield as I hurtled down the two-lane blacktop through Napa Valley toward Calistoga. Rolling into town after dark, I arrived at the historic 100 year-old facade of the Mount View Hotel & Spa. A valley of farmers colonized in the 80’s by the bohemian jet set, and from the 90’s on by Silicon Valley retirees, corners of Napa still have that Old West feel. Parking between a rusty pickup and a Porsche, I scurried in, drenched.

The next day, the rain was gone.

But the drought remained. Even torrential rains from predicted El Nino patterns aren’t going to solve the problem, say climatologists. California’s water deficit is too deep-seated.

Vineyard stoics

Oddly, none of the grape farmers I spoke to expressed anxiety about the drought. At the whim of innumerable minor and major catastrophes that haunt their endeavors, farmers survive with a hard-learned Zen attitude.

“Well, we’re not going to up and leave,” says Lauren Benward Krause of Beltane Ranch. Krause represents the fifth generation of the Heins family, following in the dusty steps of her mother Alexa Wood. Sonoma farmers since 1936, the family works 30 acres of mostly zinfandel and sauvignon blanc, producing wine for their own well-regarded label and selling their grapes to elite brands like Duckhorn. They run a luxury bed and breakfast and host upscale weddings on their 105 acres of rolling hills and oak-studded pasture.

“Being as diverse as possible,” says Lauren, is one tactic of survival. “The difference between a corporate farm and a family farm is you do things more cautiously, and you can’t afford to be greedy.”

Having your own well water is key. The Beltane well has been miraculous, according to Fran, never failing to deliver all the water they need. They also haven’t planted fence to fence, leaving most of their land undeveloped. “In the honest and old fashioned sense,” Alexa remarks, “we’re environmentalists.”