Weekly Connections with Brian Lafontaine July 27, 2025
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Since early August when the Hennessey fire started in the eastern part of the county near Lake Hennessey, the Napa Valley has been on fire. It has since merged with a few other wildfires and has formed the LNU Lightning Complex fires, burning over 363,000 acres in Napa, Lake Sonoma and Solano counties.
The LNU Lightning Complex fires, along with the Glass fires have completely devastated wine country at a time when the wine industry is struggling to survive with the pandemic killing tourism to the area.
While there have been few human casualties, the physical damage to wineries has been great. Many wineries have suffered some damage with a few reporting a complete loss of buildings and equipment.
The fires have burned for 8 weeks solid in the area during prime harvest time. Owners now have the difficult decision on whether to harvest the grapes at all. The problem is not if the vineyard has burned. It is the 2 months of extremely poor air quality with ash raining down on the vineyards.
Smoke taint has been studied in the US and Australia for the last few years. When it shows up in the finished wine, it presents as ashtray, campfire or burnt rubber. The chemical compounds from the smoke settle on the grape skins and can combine with the sugars, resulting in the unwanted flavor profiles.
Some winegrowers are filing a claim for crop insurance, while others will still make some wine, but sell the product to craft distillers. While not ideal, there is some cashflow coming in for the smaller wineries.
The wildfire season on the west coast is becoming longer and more intense every year. This problem will continue to rear its ugly head from time to time in wine country. Research indicates that some levels of smoke taint can be mitigated but not eliminated.
This Chardonnay was naturally fermented, unrefined and unfiltered. It is a blend of six different clones of Chardonnay (76, 95, Wente, Hyde, Rued, and Robert Young) that each bring their own characteristics to this multifaceted wine. Despite its long aging process in 45% new French Oak, the wine reaches a great balance due to a lot of stirring, which gives it a California Meursault feel. This wine brings elegance and finesse into a great traditional California Chardonnay. Pick it up for about $30.
Adam Arlen: “I am passionate about wine because it is history in a bottle.” He is the sommelier for The Peninsula Club in Cornelius, NC. Originally from Allentown, PA, he believes you should always branch out and find new things. His goal is to never stop learning and continuing to grow both personally and professionally. A fun fact about him: “I was a nuclear engineer on a submarine in a previous life.”
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