CWI confirms reports of affected wineries but "too soon to estimate impact”

Published: 29 September, 2020

The California Wine Institute (CWI) has confirmed that there have been early reports of wineries that have been directly affected by the current California wildfires.

Referred to as Glass Fire, the latest wildfire to hit the state developed in the mountains on the eastern side of Napa Valley between Calistoga and St. Helena on the morning of Sunday 27 September.

Currently, the situation is “dynamic with residents in the area under evacuation”, said the CWI.

“While there have been early reports of wineries directly affected, fire crews continue to work to get the fire under control. At this point it is too soon to estimate the impact of the fire on the Napa Valley and Sonoma County wine communities, however as more information becomes available we will continue to provide further updates,” it said.

Hot and dry conditions had contributed to the fire’s spread, with several additional spot fires having broken out in the mountains to the west near the border with Sonoma County overnight and in the morning of Monday 28 September, added the CWI.

The cause of the Glass Fire remains under investigation,

The latest wildfires follow on from the Cali fires last month which broke out in the northern part of the state on 17 August, and which the CWI said had caused “minimal” damage to wineries and vineyards although the full extent of smoke taint issues is as yet unknown.

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