The way the wind blows
The 2020 vintage is seared into California’s landscape. Until the Lightning Complex and Glass Fire swept through Napa and Sonoma, the year was set to be fantastic. But, no matter when a producer harvested or what the wines taste like, the year has been tainted by those flames and the suggestion of smoke.
I spoke to some of the region’s top producers – Paul Hobbs, Cate Kistler, Steve Matthiasson, Cory Empting and more – about the year, the threat of wildfires and smoke taint, and how the industry can find a sustainable way forward in the face of the blazing reality of climate change.
