What Does Wildfire Wine Taste Like? 

The state of California is experiencing the effects of climate change with frequent wildfires naturally caused by burning temperatures coming in contact with the dry brush that catches fire as a catastrophic chain reaction. One of the biggest industries in California is the wine industry, with most wineries and vineyards impacted by the wildfires. 
 
Climate change has impacted the California wine industry making wine more expensive due to scarcity, grapes used for wine are smoke-tainted, and no more California Cabernet. The wildfires affected the flavor profile of wine, completely changing the flavor and was compared to licking an ashtray. 
 
The California wildfires have impacted nearly every aspect of making wine, from spoiling thousands of bottles to ruining acres of vineyards. Winemaker Marbue Marke has confirmed that his grapes are tainted, and it will only worsen as wine ages. 
 
2017 and 2020 were devastating years for the California wine counties of Sonoma and Napa that drove the price of grapes as most were tainted by smoke and/or ash. Marke disclosed he’s had to dump a lot of wasted wine in the last five to six years. He continues to explain the fires in 2020 making the most significant impact saying it was the first time in 24 years he was unable to produce a single drop of wine. 
 
One of the biggest issues in the California wine industry is the limited use of grapes for Cabernet wine as projections indicate these particular grapes won’t be able to grow in the region until 2060. As California faces another fire season, it proves to be another year of challenges facing droughts and wildfires as wineries work to solve climate change issues.