Climate change is transforming Redwood Valley, a ‘holy grail’ wine region in California
Many Bay Area wine drinkers might not be able to point out Redwood Valley on a map, but they’ve probably tasted Redwood Valley wine. This little-known slice of inland Mendocino County has become the go-to vineyard region for some of California’s most popular young wine producers … But the last three years have dealt Redwood Valley one devastating blow after another. Drought, frost and fires have decimated the crops, particularly in older vineyards. Many grapevines last year yielded less than 10% of the output of an average harvest. … When rain is plentiful, dry farming isn’t a problem — and, some argue, leads to higher-quality wines. But during this period of extended drought, the vines struggle, and it shows.
Related article:
- San Francisco Chronicle: Wine Country is reeling from ‘mass attacks’ on trees. Here’s what is going on