Drought, atmospheric rivers, what next California wine country?

California has been experiencing years of drought. Now in the space of a couple of weeks, it is being hit with torrential rains. In just two days, “atmospheric rivers” dumped over 16 inches of rain on higher elevations in Santa Barbara County north of Los Angeles, and in the period between Dec. 26 and Jan. 9, San Francisco has been inundated by over a foot of rainfall, the third-wettest period since 1849. 

Now, with extensive flooding, we can only begin to imagine the impact this will bring on the vineyards. 

If anyone is still skeptical about global warming and the catastrophic disruptions which accompany it, think again. 

I was just reading in Wine & Spirits magazine about how the rise in temperatures is changing the character of Napa Valley as a wine-producing region. In one article, Dan Petroski, former head winemaker at Larkmead Vineyards in Calistoga was providing his perspective as he tries to foster "more resilient farming practices and smart planting decisions" in the region. What he has to say makes a lot of sense. 

Even more intriguing is the article Contra Temps by David Darlington. In it, he reveals that Leo McCloskey, founder of Enologix, a company, which, according to Wikipedia, approached winemaking by beginning “with market metrics and then linking them to a chemical breakdown of some of the flavour components of wine- including anthocyanins, norisoprenoids, phenols, tannins, and terpenes -and analyzing a client's wine and possibly comparing it with a "target" wine from the companies' database which includes profiles of First Growth Bordeaux wine and other high scoring bottles”, is shutting down his lab, saying that era is over. 

(Critics would complain that the Enologix approach espoused and promoted the production of “homogeneously intense” Cabernet Sauvignons which some called “show-stopping flavour bombs trading terroir and finesse for sheer sensory performance.) 

 McCloskey now believes that the climate has become too hot, with heat and drought pushing the wines “over the edge into insufferability”, calling them ‘Frankenweins’. Whereas Napa was predominantly a ‘warm summer Mediterranean climate’, he says it has now morphed into a ‘hot-summer Mediterranean region’.  

Wine-making practices in Napa will have to change, at least in much of the Valley. Cooler, higher elevated properties may be impacted less, as well as areas in the more southerly part of the valley, as the hotter it gets up-valley, the more it will draw in cooler air from San Francisco Bay to the lower areas from the Carneros region north, McCloskey theorizes. 

In Napa, Cabernet has been king, at times earning as much as $8,000 a ton for the grapes. Now, however, some are suggesting that grape varietals more suited to the climate, such as Portugal’s Touriga Nacional, may need to be considered. McCloskey suggests that this shift might be difficult. 

He explained that it took 15 years after the “Judgement of Paris” tasting in 1990, in which Napa Cabernets dominated, to fully establish Cabernet Sauvignon as the grape for Napa. It will be difficult now to get people who have invested so thoroughly in it to make changes. 

Both Petroski and McCloskey are advocating for white grapes for the region. One factor has to do with smoke. When the grape-growing regions were heavily blanketed with smoke from wildfires, it was the red wines which were impacted.  

The smoke taint was in the skins, not in the pulp or the juice to begin with. When the white grapes were processed, skin contact was minimal, and the juice remained smoke-free. Red wines, however, get their colour and tannin from the skins, and in the wine-making process, with prolonged skin contact, the wines were contaminated as the skins released the smoke into the juice. 

Petroski advocates for white wine from another perspective as well. He recalls working in vineyards in southern Italy - a Hot Summer Mediterranean region – where they drank nothing but white wine because the climate dictated it. He pointed out that Napa in the 1980s had been white wine country. Perhaps its time has come again. 

Leo McCloskey is closing Enologix, no longer employing chemistry and scientific metrics in pursuit of 100-point wines; he is shifting direction and starting Green Enologix, which uses scientific data to advise clients on how to proceed, survive and prosper in this age of Climate change. 

As he expressed it in the Contra Temps article, McCloskey asserts, “One can predict quality outcomes from the climate data. I never thought of that. Shame on me! As a winemaker, I was coming out of the processing world. But turns out it’s all done in the vineyard – people are going to find out it’s the grapes,” 

Wines to look for 

Already on our shelves at the Great Northern Road Store is the Vesuvo Beneventano Falanghina 2020, $17.95 from Campania. In fact, it may not be available in any other store in Ontario. As the name “Vesuvo” indicates, here is a wine made in the vicinity of Mount Vesuvius, the famous volcano south of Rome. While Falanghina is a distinctive enough grape, the “Beneventano” is actually a sub-variety, separate from most of the Falanghina we may encounter. It is delicious and intense, with rich flavours of pear and apple culminating in a satisfying lemony finish.  

Chile’s Cigar Box Pinot Noir is currently on sale for just over $10, but it out-performs many wines that are twice the price. Medium-bodied, as you would expect from the “Queen of Grapes”, it carries a surprising depth of plum-like flavour with excellent length. 

For a contrast in style, consider the Concannon Pinot Noir from California. Though it is being delisted, our GNR store was ‘gifted’ with several cases. It is softer, lighter, and more delicate than the Cigar Box, but it still delivers a lot of pleasure. The impact is subtle, with some cherry/ strawberry fruit evident on the mid-palate, along with the impression of nutmeg. While we are paying just over $12 for it here, in B.C. it sells in the $20 range.

Vintages January 7 Release 

Whites 

Alvi’s Drift Signature Range Chenin Blanc 2021, $13.95, from South Africa’s Western Cape is pale lemon in colour. This energetic wine offers hints of golden delicious apples and candied lemon rind, along with the characteristic texture suggestive of beeswax. It is balanced right through to its satisfying crisp finish. 

Vitese Grillo 2020, $14.95, is another Italian white, this from Sicily. In 2021, the Decanter World Wine Awards scored it 90, saying it is “salty and herbaceous, with a plush, oily texture and a lovely mineral background.” No doubt, this is a wine impacted by the proximity of the vines to the sea. 

William Févre Espino Reserva Especial Chardonnay 2021, $15.95, is a Chilean white produced by a well-respected producer of Chablis in France. Un-oaked, it has a nose suggestive of cooked pears and lime citrus. On the palate, there is a citrus freshness accompanied by a hint of both honey and salt. Like Chablis, it has a certain touch of creaminess, but it is anything but buttery. If you like Chablis, then you must try this. 

Reds 

Symington Family Estates Altano 2020, $14.95, is a “no-brainer” purchase, made by a leading producer of top-level Port wines including Graham’s, Dow’s and Warre’s. Their website tells us we can expect a well-structured and elegant wine that offers focused fresh fruit on a palate that is full and silky. 

Rioja Vega Crianza 2019, $16.95, is a well-made, balanced Spanish red brimming with flavours of dark cherry and blueberry accompanied by soft tannins contributing to a smooth texture and a long spicy finish.  

Firriato Chiaramonte Nero D’Avola 2018, $16.95, from Sicily, ranked #24 on James Suckling’s Top 100 value Wines in 2021, presenting “tons of red and black plums, plus delicate chocolate character…[with] quite some concentration..” – 94 

Sidewood Stablemate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, $17.95, from Australia’s Adelaide Hills was ranked “Exceptional” and Best Buy by tastings.com which asserts that it presents “aromas and flavours of eucalyptus, blueberry chutney, chocolate toffee, and methanol with a satiny, vibrant, fruity medium-to-full body and a tingling, intricate, medium-long finish that exhibits suggestions of craisin, black raspberry strudel, spiced nuts, and pink pepper with crunchy, dusty tannins and light oak flavour. A boldly herbal and berry-forward Cabernet that will be fantastic with spicy lamb dishes.” – 91.  

January 21 Vintages Release 

White  

Arca Nova Vinho Verde 2021, $13.95, is a blend of native Portuguese grapes showing crushed apples, lemon, lime, and wet stone on both the nose and palate. There’s excellent acidity and soft minerality on a structured finish 

Paul Mas Single Vineyard Réserve Marasanne 2021, $15.95, comes from a winemaker in the Languedoc region of France whose goal is to produce “Everyday Luxury”. The Marsanne exhibits ripe tropical and lemon-lime fruit, with a whiff of butterscotch. Vintages says it is “zesty and elegant, with wonderful presence.” 

Te Awa Left Field Pinot Gris 2021, $19.95, is from Hawke’s Bay on New Zealand’s North Island. Vintages explains that the grapes are partially fermented on their skins, and that the wine offers “aromatic spices, ripe apple, pear and a touch of honeysuckle with bright acidity leading to a crisp finish. 

Red 

Gandarada 2019, $14.95, from the Dao in Portugal is another example of the great values we can enjoy with the country’s table wines. This wine was “Best In Show” with a score of 97 at the 2021 Decanter Awards. Here, the flavours “are neatly poised between sweet youth, searching acidity and intrinsic depth and extract… The ensemble is hugely characterful, tight-sewn and deep.” We are told it would age very well for a few years. 

Corte Medicea Erastos Rosso 2019, $16.95, from Tuscany bears a 98 from critic Luca Maroni, which in itself promises oodles of fruit. The blend is half Sangiovese and a quarter each Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Six months in older oak builds structure but the fruit still shines through. Look for cherries, raspberries, chocolate and a touch of vanilla. 

Chronic Cellars Purple Paradise Red Blend 2020, $22.95, from California’s Paso Robles region is new to our stores. The Wine Enthusiast affirms “this bottling always over-delivers. Elderberry, black plum, scorched earth, crushed rock and tar aromas show on the nose, while the palate proves heavy but well-structured. Flavours of roasted blackberry, toasted sage and asphalt complete the picture. – 91.” 

(I have to remember that “tar” is often a descriptor for certain red wines; Still, I think it makes more sense to associate it with aromas than taste: I am not inclined to lick my driveway!)