Looks can be deceiving

Our Cabernet Sauvignon grapes look ripe, juicy, and delicious right? We recently received lab test results that confirmed what we suspected. Our 2020 grapes are not suitable for winemaking because they absorbed too much wildfire smoke. Many of our fellow growers received similar test results.

In our last newsletter, we told you of the LNU Complex fire that was ignited by lightning strikes on August 17. That fire threatened our property from the north side and got within 8 miles of us before it was extinguished on October 2. It burned 363,000 acres.

The Glass Fire started on September 27 and it burned 67,000 acres over 23 days. It got within 3 miles of our property on the south and west sides.

We are extremely grateful to the firefighters and other first responders who protected our property and most of our Angwin community. We are all relieved that rain fell on Napa Valley most of the day on November 13, the first rainfall since April. More is in the forecast. Amen.

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After the smoke cleared, our vineyard manager strongly urged us to allow his crew to drop all of our fruit on the ground. He warned that allowing the smoke tainted fruit to whither on the vines over the winter could jeopardize the long term health of our vineyard. The fruit was dropped October 30.

Perspective
Although we lost our 2020 crop, we didn’t lose our perspective. Family members, friends, and countless others lost loved ones, their homes, businesses, jobs, savings, and much more in 2020. They are truly suffering and we continue to pray for their healing.

We hope to resume our vineyard work in the spring with renewed energy and optimism for 2021.

In the meantime, we invite you to enjoy our 3 current release wines and 1 library wine. We could all use a glass or 4 of wine now right?

Happy Thanksgiving.

Cheers!
Barb and Gerry Sieck