Napa Vineyards could be threatened by fire
About 10,000 people have been displaced by a fire which has spread to the wine making regions of Napa Valley and Sonoma County. California's Office of Emergency Services said the Valley Fire is the most destructive fire they've seen in 30 years. The fire broke out on Saturday at 1.22pm but the cause is under investigation. As yet no vineyards have actually reported any fire damage. However it is feared that the billowing smoke from the fire could infuse the grape skins and hence damage this years yield. One vintner explained that this is particularly an issue for red wines where the skins are retained in the winemaking process, abnormal flavours could be created by the smoke infusion.
