Kate Nowell-Smith describes making wine as wildfires rage in Sonoma, and what she has learnt. She took this picture looking west towards Russian River Valley from Healdsburg on 18 August 2020. See also Smoke taint – the Australian consumers' view, Smoke taint – the view from Oregon and Smoke taint – US lawyers' view.
Harvest typically feels like a protracted yet joyous poker game with nature. As I focus on each grape variety, each block, I’m walking the rows, tasting berries, assessing overall vine health and asking one question: will increased ripening improve this fruit, or have we...