Wildfires Are Coming For Wine, Weed, And Christmas 

There are 86 large wildfires that have burned 1,498,205 acres in 12 US states and emit large quantities of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and dangerous particulate matter into the atmosphere this summer that could affect wine weed and Christmas. 

The West Coast fire season is off to a fiery start, and an abundance of smoke can destroy precious vineyards and damage the fruit. 

University of California Davis researchers say California’s wine country is being consumed by a megadrought and resulting wildfires that taint and affect crop yields. 

“We’re seeing the impact of climate and climate change,” said Megan Bartlett, a UC Davis plant biologist and assistant professor.

“Especially after the heatwaves and the megadrought a few years ago, we really saw, as an industry, declines in (crop) yield. These are really pressing problems, especially now.”

The smoke of wildfires permeates regions like Napa Valley and other top-producing vineyards, changing the taste of wine. 

“Can you imagine licking an ashtray?” Anita Oberholster, a Cooperative Extension enology specialist at UC Davis, said.

“When wines are heavily impacted, it can taste like that.”

The smoke of wildfires can also stress or even kill marijuana plants growing outdoor or in greenhouse operations. 

“Smoke taint is the most obvious and the most apparent threat to cannabis as [it’s] exposed to these forest fires, and that’s something you’re going to be able to readily tell from just qualitatively examining the cannabis,” Josh Wurzer, president of SC Labs, told Cannabis Business Times. 

“So, that’s certainly a concern—just ruining the flavor of the cannabis,” Wurzer said. 

Although Christmas is about five months away, record-breaking heatwaves and raging wildfires are destroying Christmas tree farms in Oregon. We noted days ago that Reuters spoke with multiple tree farm operators, who said their crop yields this year would be reduced. 

Dozens of wildfires burning in the Western half of the US are unleashing near-surface smoke in parts of California but also countrywide. Smoke was visible on the East Coast last week. 

So what this all means is that if wildfires persist, wine and marijuana crop yields could be affected and or at least tainted, which would lower quality, and Christmas tree yields would also be reduced, resulting in higher prices.