The Napa Valley wine industry faces a substantial hit to its pocketbook after the Pickett Fire, with the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner's office tallying at least $65 million in losses. According to a CBS News report, veteran winemaker Bruce Regalia, whose experience spans over three decades, could almost feel the cloying taste of smoke on the vine, recalling past fires that devastated crops. "I think about years past when we lost all our fruit," adding, "there were years we had so much smoke that we didn't harvest any fruit," Regalia told CBS News, indicating the fine line between a full-bodied vintage and an ashtray.
More than 1,500 acres have borne the brunt of the blaze, a fraction of Napa's storied vineyards, yet significant in its economic repercussions, as the county's preliminary agricultural damage assessment indicates that while 20 percent of this was due to direct fire damage, a larger swath was compromised by smoke, with potential impacts still under scrutiny. As reported by the county, the extent of the damage included not only winegrapes but also affected local beehives, which form an integral part of livestock and agricultural diversity in Napa Valley.
The weight of these losses is significant, and the local agricultural commissioner, Tracy Cleveland, has stressed the preliminary nature of this early financial estimate, "This number is an early snapshot. I cannot stress that enough," said Tracy Cleveland, as per CBS News. "It's an early snapshot. The full picture will continue to unfold as we gather more information from growers, vintners and at producers in the weeks ahead." The resulting data will contribute to a larger report, a step forward in seeking aid at the state and federal levels.
Meanwhile, solutions to negate the smoke damage are few and far between, with the industry investing in research to remedy the smoky aftermath in their products, seeking techniques to either filter out or chemically reduce the pervasive smoke essence that haunts the affected wines – though success stories are rare and a smoky vintage seems to remain an unsolved challenge, "People have tried filtration and different methods," said Regalia, "You can make it better, but I haven't tasted any wines where they completely cured it," this according to Regalia's conversation with CBS News.
