Californian wildfires: how to help

the drinks business has put together a list of fundraising efforts currently in place to support the people and wineries affected by the recent wildfires that have killed a total of 41 people.

Chimney Rock Winery, based in the Stags District in Napa, expresses its thanks to those who have offered support in the region. Credit: Facebook – Chimney Rock Winery

To date, it has been reported that 41 people have lost their lives in the wildfires that began to sweep through California wine country on Sunday 8 October. Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Solano and Lake Counties were all affected by the fires.

According to the latest reports, in the Napa Valley, 47 member wineries (out of 330) reported direct damage from the fires. Among the wineries known to have been most severely damaged are Signorello in Napa, Paradise Ridge in Santa Rosa, Sonoma, and Paras Vineyards in Mount Veeder, Napa.

Of an estimated 1,200 wineries in Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties, the regions most touched by the fires, it is thought fewer than ten wineries have been either destroyed or heavily damaged.

It is believed that approximately 85% of the fruit in the affected areas had been picked before the wildfires struck. Napa and Sonoma reported that as much as 90% of the bunches had been harvested, and, in the cooler Mendocino, around 75% of the red grapes and most of the white grapes had been picked.

It is thought, however, that between 25 and 30% of this year’s harvest in Napa and Sonoma may have been lost due to power and labour shortages in the wineries.

On a more positive note, the number of wineries significantly damaged by the wildfires is not expected to markedly increase, according to the Napa Valley Vintners.

In a statement, NVV said: “Vintners are very optimistic about the quality of the 2017 vintage and the winemaking that was already underway when the fires started.”

“Of the grapes remaining on the vine when the fires began, most were thick-skinned Cabernet Sauvignon. Wineries that could safely access their vineyards continued to pick their grapes. The circumstances surrounding these fires and the grapes left on the vine is unprecedented and the potential effects of the fires are not yet fully known.

The long term result of the wildfires, however, remains more uncertain. It is thought that around 5,700 houses and structures were destroyed by the fires, and countless more were damaged, many of which were used to house local vineyard workers.

The New York Times has recently reported that around 100,000 people were displaced, either temporarily or permanently, by the fires.

For an in-depth look at the real impact on wine, please click here.

As a result of the damage and devastation caused, a number of fundraising initiatives have been set up so that those based outside of the affected regions can offer financial aid to those on the ground.

Click through to view the ways in which you can offer financial assistance, and for the main fundraising pages, please see page seven. If your fundraising endeavour is not mentioned in the following pages, either comment below with the details or email phoebe@thedrinksbusiness.com.

Jancis Robinson MW

In an email sent out to subscribers on 20 October, it was announced that Jancis Robinson MW will be organising a London fundraiser for victims of the Californian wildfires.

London members club 67 Pall Mall has donated the space and Zalto glasses for the event and “various kind importers are donating the wine”.

The fundraising wine tasting, which will take place on Saturday 2 December, will be a “rare opportunity to taste top-quality California wine” and further details will be published this week.

67 Pall Mall is also hosting its own fundraising event, see page four.

Roberson Wines

As reported by the drinks business, wine merchant Roberson has set up a JustGiving page with the aim of raising £10,000 towards the relief effort.

Roberson Wine will be donating a proportion of sales this month towards to help the wildfire victims and hosted a fundraising event – California Wine Bantz at 10 Cases in Covent Garden yesterday in partnership with the Wine Source and Liberty Wines.

In a statement, Shana Dilworth, Roberson’s on-trade sales account manager, said: “In Sonoma one in four people work in the wine trade – this is likely to be doubled in Napa. As the IWC California retailer of the year for the last five years who represents over 30 Californian producers, we feel that it is our duty to help”.

“Our aim is to galvanise the wine trade to stand together to help support local producers, their workers, and their communities, many of whom have lost not just their vines but their schools and homes.”

“This will be an industry-wide issue that will affect producers at all levels. Our interest here is in helping the community to rebuild this beautiful and very special place,” she added.

Naked Wines UK

Naked Wines is selling a ‘Californian Rescue Pack’ on its site, promising to donate 100% of the profits to the fire relief efforts.

The Californian Rescue Pack, on sale for £59.64 with free delivery, comprises one bottle of Karen Birmingham Lodi Zinfandel 2016, one bottle of Karen Birmingham Clarksburg Petite Sirah 2016, one bottle of Katy Michaud Washington Riesling 2016, one bottle of Miriam Alexandra Chenin Blanc 2016 and two bottles of Back Door Cabernet Sauvignon 2015.

The wines will be delivered to customers in the new year and Naked Wines has stated that it will give £10,000 for every £1,000 cases sold.

In an email to the drinks business, it was also revealed that Naked Wines USA has raised $215,000 ($100,000 directly from the company) and “Naked Australia are making a charity wine to add their support”.

To buy the Californian Rescue Pack, please click here. 

67 Pall Mall

67 Pall, the London members club for wine lovers, is hosting a charity wine auction on 24 November in aid of the wildfire relief effort.

67 Pall Mall are hosting the auction in partnership with Californian wine specialists Four Corners Wine Company. The club has sent out an email to its membership asking for donations and has had the “most amazing response”.

With lots donated from many of the clubs members, the auction will feature wines not only from California but “from all regions”.

The event will run from 6:30pm and the auction itself will start at 7pm. Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to charity.

For more information, please contact charlotte@67pallmall.co.uk.

Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits

Southern Glazer’s, the largest wine and spirits distributor in North America, has launched a GoFundMe campaign in aid of the Napa Valley Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund and the Sonoma County Community Foundation Resilience Fund.

The company has also announced that it will match employee contributions to the campaign up to $100,000.

In a statement, Mel Dick, senior vice president of Southern Glazer’s and president of the company’s wine division, commented: “Just as our supplier partners supported us following the recent destructive hurricanes that impacted our people in Texas, Louisiana, Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands, we stand by them during this difficult time.”

“Our Southern Glazer’s family stands ready to help our valued partners and reciprocate the incredible generosity that has enabled our teams to recover from these disasters. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of our friends who have been affected by these wildfires.”

To see a full list of American wineries donating money to the fire relief effort, please see page seven.

The Vineyard Hotel

Peter Michael Winery

The Vineyard Hotel, based in Newbury and which claims to have the largest Californian wine list in the UK, is raising money for those affected by the fires.

The hotel is owned by Sir Peter Michael, who also owns the Peter Michael Winery in Sonoma, which narrowly escaped fire damage. The Vineyard is donating sales from the winery’s “Coeur à Coeur” 2007, which it will serve by the glass until the end of November for £15.50. This money will be donated the Sonoma County Resilience Fund.

Commenting on the fires, James Hocking, wine director at the Vineyard, said: “It has been quite heart-breaking to hear of the loss of life and destruction caused by the Napa and Sonoma fires. California is a region that many of us in the U.K. wine trade have an emotional connection to and we are keen to support those affected”.

Main fundraising pages

• Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund, please click here (Napa Valley Community Foundation.)
• Sonoma County Resilience Fund, please click here (Community Foundation Somoma County.)
• Mendocino County Disaster Fund, please click here (The Community Foundation of Mendocino County.)
• #CAWineStrong – click here to view a list of wineries supporting the fire relief effort, and click here to view the YouCaring page.
• Winemakers and Sommeliers for California Wildfire Relief, please click here. 
• Rebuild Wine Country, please click here.