California 2017 – sizzle and shrivel

The weekend of 2 September 2017 northern California experienced the hottest temperatures ever recorded, at least since written records began in the middle of the nineteenth century. San Francisco hit 106 °F/41 °C, Livermore reached 115 °F/46 °C, and Napa shattered all previous records at 113 °F/45 °C. Despite ample warning, winegrowers throughout northern California scrambled to react to the searing temperatures and the elevated humidity that accompanied and lingered after the heat. Some picked early, others irrigated to mitigate the heat and anticipated dehydration, and others simply watched as their grapes shrivelled and burned.

‘This has been one weird...