Grapes after the Kincade Fire, October 2019 / Getty
Since the West Coast of the U.S. has experienced numerous wildfire events in recent years, growers and wineries are trying to answer a critical question: Who should bear the financial cost of smoke impacted grapes?
“It feels like as an industry, up and down the West Coast, we have not yet come up with a solution,” says Juan Muñoz-Oca, chief winemaker at Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Washington’s largest producer. It also owns wineries in Oregon and California.
