Dispatches From the Dirt:Unwarranted Optimism
Words and images by Jillian Riley
Upon my return to work after fire #2, I was greeted with, “Welcome back-the only intern in Napa still working!” A number of seasonal hires had been displaced, so the comment wasn’t all that far from reality.
It turned out our winemaker was able to get in the previous week, despite the terrible air quality. He performed some much-needed maintenance on the wine in tanks. When the fire broke out, we were still meant to take in more grapes. This plan had obviously been derailed, cutting our harvest short.
Many wineries in Napa have been ill-affected by the fires of 2020. There are wineries unable to make any wine at all. Yet, the calm that seems endemic to the area still softly radiates through the valley. I’m still ushered on by generous drivers while trying to make an awkward left turn in St. Helena. Winemakers in their muck boots and Patagonia vests smile genuinely at the grocery store cashier. A mail carrier who lost his home in the recent fires, after losing another home in the fires two years ago, happily carries on his route, smiling warmly. “What are you gonna do,” he says, shrugging. In a vintage with so many justifications for being discouraged, the community is content to be, well, content.
There’s a sense in Napa and Sonoma that residents have actively chosen their lifestyle, one of peace and positivity. This isn’t their first vintage and it won’t be their last. Perhaps this is part of the luxury afforded to a region that has become so well-known. There will always be a demand for California wine, and the community can rest comfortably knowing this.
I can’t help but wonder if the climate here isn’t all that is at risk as we encounter warmer temperatures and drier seasons. What happens if the fires become the norm? What happens if this grape-growing Mecca becomes too hot for ideal grape-growing conditions? What happens if the reputation of modern California wine is actually what’s on the line? It isn’t only the wine industry at risk; it’s the way of life of an entire community-- a way of life many in the country perceive as long forgotten.
The beautiful sense of living in the moment, not worrying about the future is a quality we often only find in children. Yet, this seems to permeate the valley here. It’s the last American bastion of wonder, and what happens if we lose it?
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