Napa Valley, a few words before our Pressoir.wine THIRST class

by Edouard Bourgeois
July 20, 2021

The sun’s powerful light is key to promoting photosynthesis and its warm rays are another crucial factor to producing healthy grapes around the world. In the historically cold wine regions, wine growers may choose to capture as much sun exposure as possible. They often choose to plant their vineyards with a southern orientation (in the northern hemisphere) and on steep slopes. The space between the rows also plays a role and farming techniques such as deleafing can increase sunlight exposure.

However, in parts of California, especially the famous Napa Valley, the sun may become a dangerous ally.

The world of wine was shocked when terrible news of the Napa wildfires spread last year. But the sadly famous Glass Fire that remained active for 23 days was the beginning of even more disasters to come. Smoke taint, dried up water reservoirs and increased insurance policies deeply impacted the region.

Red wines were more affected by smoke taint because the process to make red involved skin maceration, which is not true for a classic white wine where grapes are directly pressed. The irony is that red wines, and of course the staple “Napa Cab” are close to twice as much profitable than white wines.

Today, the Napa wine growers are taking stock of the situation and thinking about next steps. In last week’s edition of the Pressoir wine “The Press”, we covered the subject of capturing and recycling the CO2 naturally produced during fermentation in wineries.

Another critical topic in California is water. Is irrigation absolutely necessary in a region known for its violent drought? The celebrated winery Diamond Creek of Napa Valley, a pioneer in terms of single vineyards in the region, has embraced dry farming in parts of its vineyards.

Today, waste water from household toilets and drains is being re-used in vineyards after intense treatments. It is even predicted that such recycled water could one day become potable.

Our Pressoir.wine live THIRST class this July 29th will feature exclusive videos filmed by our team while in Napa a few months ago, featuring legendary producers Diamond Creek, Corison, Eisele Vineyards and others. Author Kelli White will share her incredible knowledge of the region and we will discuss important topics such as the evolution of farming, the diversity of terroirs and grape varieties with fascinating insiders’ stories. We hope to see you on screen for this virtual event.