Hell Descends on California Wine Country

originally posted by: theantediluvian
He probably set the fires to distract attention from his rape spree.

He sounds like a real Bad Hombre.

Just reading that 60% of two fires contained and rain on the way (2 days ago) and that people are just beginning to return to their homes/land to assess the damages. There are 160 wineries and with 23 reporting damages so far (this number may climb significantly) that is 36.8%...not a small disaster by any means.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

If only Obama had built a dome.

originally posted by: InTheLight
There are 160 wineries and with 23 reporting damages so far...

There are well over 600 in Napa and Sonoma combined. This doesn't count the ones with no tasting rooms or the 'virtual' style producers who only ship to internet customers.

originally posted by: theantediluvian
If only Obama had built a dome.

This is God punishing California.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: InTheLight
There are 160 wineries and with 23 reporting damages so far...

There are well over 600 in Napa and Sonoma combined. This doesn't count the ones with no tasting rooms or the 'virtual' style producers who only ship to internet customers.

Let's hope the damages are minimal for all concerned.

originally posted by: InTheLight
Let's hope the damages are minimal for all concerned.

They are for the wine industry, they got lucky the fires occurred while the vineyards were still mostly being irrigated and that they had already mowed the center aisles in preparation for harvest. A few weeks before or after and it might have been totally different.

a reply to: Riffrafter

I smell a conspiracy!! Looking at you Budweiser...

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

There is no extensive damage to the area planted to vineyards, many of the fires stopped at the vineyard edge and were unable to progress due to the plantings between the rows having be mowed recently. I was just on the phone with several of the wineries we purchased from and all of them are still shipping as scheduled.

Here is an article on the few that were damaged, most of them were boutique growers on hillsides or atop the mountains:

A closer look at 22 wineries damaged by Wine Country fires.

No, not to the wines they're shipping now. Those were bottled previous to the fire. It's the smoke that's the issue. Even a little smoke transfers into the skin and that give a 'scotch-like' taste.

They won't find that out or the degree of it until these grapes go through the process. Same thing happened a couple of years back up my way in Washington St.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: nwtrucker
Then the wine starts tasting like Scotch due to the grape skin absorbing smoke. They can still sell it, but the price crashes.

The majority of the grapes for this season were picked prior to the fires, very little remained once they broke out.

That's good to know...

I prefer the fruity taste of new worlds over old world earthy flavors.

originally posted by: nwtrucker

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

There is no extensive damage to the area planted to vineyards, many of the fires stopped at the vineyard edge and were unable to progress due to the plantings between the rows having be mowed recently. I was just on the phone with several of the wineries we purchased from and all of them are still shipping as scheduled.

Here is an article on the few that were damaged, most of them were boutique growers on hillsides or atop the mountains:

A closer look at 22 wineries damaged by Wine Country fires.

No, not to the wines they're shipping now. Those were bottled previous to the fire. It's the smoke that's the issue. Even a little smoke transfers into the skin and that give a 'scotch-like' taste.

They won't find that out or the degree of it until these grapes go through the process. Same thing happened a couple of years back up my way in Washington St.

Also, we are not taking into account future effects of runoff from burnt tracts of lands on hillsides and the mountains into the lower tracts of land where they will be replanting.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: nwtrucker
Then the wine starts tasting like Scotch due to the grape skin absorbing smoke. They can still sell it, but the price crashes.

The majority of the grapes for this season were picked prior to the fires, very little remained once they broke out.

What the hell you know about grapes living in West Orange?

You can't even grow a tomato around there!

originally posted by: nwtrucker
I prefer the fruity taste of new worlds over old world earthy flavors.

I like both, depends on what I'm cooking.

As for Napa/Sonoma, they got off lucky. Hardly anything was left on the vines when we were out there two weeks before the fires started. There was some Cabernet left but much was scheduled to get picked in the ensuing two weeks.

originally posted by: Willtell
What the hell you know about grapes living in West Orange?

You can't even grow a tomato around there!

Quite a bit, we have our own vineyards in Italy.

And I can grow some pretty damn good tomatoes too.

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

originally posted by: AndyFromMichigan
I heard a claim that much of California's marijuana is grown in this same area. Some are suggesting that Mexican drug cartels started these fires, to eliminate the local competitors.

Doesnt seem smart as they need all that woodland cover thats being vaporized.

No, the idea is that with all the local dope growers wiped out, the Mexican dope growers will have the market cornered.

The fires still burning across Wine Country could pose an existential threat to California’s largest utility, Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

PG&E's stock price is down 17 percent since Oct. 11, when state fire officials said they would investigate whether PG&E’s power lines, blown by fierce winds, played a role in sparking the fires.

SFGate.com - State senator: PG&E should be ‘split’ if negligence caused fires.

That is one line of thought as to the cause of the fire. An exploding transformer or sparking power line started brush on fire that was then wind whipped up into the inferno.

PG&E seems to be taking the idea seriously.

ETA: There is no official cause. A couple that lost their home is suing PG&E in speculation that it was their fault.

a reply to: TrueBrit

My favorite "beer" in the entire planet is Harp.

But from the "English" perspective, I don't know if you call that a "Beer" or an "Ale" or a "Spirit" or a "Bitters".

None the less........I SERIOUSLY doubt that there's enough "Harp" to replace the wine production. The loss of wine production may even impact ME. Although...............I drink wine from a "box",

Bwahahahahahaha

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I used to live in Italy. I love Italy, but there's one gigantic HUGE problem with Italy.

Their very "best" wines don't travel for crap so you can't find them in the US.

But, being a cheese lover, the all time most aggravating thing is that, with the possible exception of New York or maybe Chicago..........there's NO WAY you're going to find Gorganzola Dolce in the US. What they serve here as Gorganzola is a not too "hot" Blue. Sad, really.

originally posted by: TonyS
Their very "best" wines don't travel for crap so you can't find them in the US.

Such as? There are very few wines I had there that I cannot get here. It had more to do with them not having good export connections than anything else.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

My all time favorite was Lacryma Christi.

I hadn't looked in ages, but I'm seeing ads for buying it online. And I found it for sale at: www.totalwine.com...

I'm very happily surprised! And its even reasonably priced.........assuming of course its the real thing. Thanks for prompting me to look!