The 2020 wine vintage in Oregon's Willamette Valley faced devastation due to wildfires, leading to severe financial losses estimated at $1.5 billion. Winemakers left tons of grapes to rot as smoke affected the grapes' quality. However, a new trend emerged as some winemakers began embracing the concept of 'smoke terroir,' integrating smoky flavors into their wines. This trend arises in response to climate change and the increasing frequency of wildfires, suggesting a necessary adaptation for the future of the winemaking industry in California and Oregon.
The 2020 vintage was on track to be the perfect year for the 874 wineries of Oregon's Willamette Valley until late summer, when the valley choked on smoke from record-breaking wildfires.
As climate change introduces an era in which smoky wildfire seasons are the new normal, there's a new wave of winemakers who are working with this new 'smoke terroir.'
With more than 1 million acres razed in major wine producing regions in California and beyond, Oregon's 2020 vintage can tell us how to adapt in the age of climate change.
The entire wine industry on the West Coast experienced $3.7 billion in losses in 2020, with small winemakers being especially affected.
Collection
[
|
...
]