Firefighters and Favorable Weather Slow Pickett Fire in Napa as Investigators Look at Possible Spark in Vineyard
Visitors to most of Napa Valley today will find blue skies, the energy of harvest shifting into gear and tourists exploring and tasting wine. But at the north end of the county, in the mountains above and east of Calistoga, the Pickett Fire continues to smolder. For most vintners, there’s been a sigh of relief, while a few are saying they’ll need to test their grapes for potential smoke taint. Meanwhile, investigators are looking into what started the fire. According to reports, they have interviewed two workers at Hundred Acre Wines, near where the fire started. But the state has not issued any official findings yet.
A week after the blaze began on Pickett Road, in the hills northeast of Calistoga, the fire remains at 6,803 acres burned and is now 33 percent contained. While it spread rapidly over the weekend, a marine layer moved into the region Monday night, bringing welcome humidity, which has helped firefighters contain the spread. Currently the fire is mostly in steep and difficult terrain, making it challenging to combat, but it remains far from vineyards and homes. Most evacuation orders have been lifted or changed to warnings. There have been no reports of injuries or damaged structures.
Questions on Pickett Road
An investigation into what sparked the fire has just begun. During the early hours of the fire, radio signals from Cal Fire reported that the blaze may have been sparked by a controlled burn. Cal Fire had suspended all permits for controlled burns back in June, when conditions began to become dry.
According to local media reports, investigators spoke to a contract worker and manager at a property on Pickett Road belonging to Hundred Acre Wines about whether discarded ashes from an outdoor oven may have started the fire.
Owner Jayson Woodbridge did not reply to requests for comment. A spokesman for Hundred Acre, Sam Singer, gave a statement to Wine Spectator saying, “Company representatives have spoken with fire investigators. They are working cooperatively with the investigation into the Pickett Fire. In addition, there is no indication that there was a controlled burn.”
Cautiously Optimistic About Smoke
Thousands of fire personnel are working on containment, and while smoke may be visible in the distance and there is a slight haze in the air, most winemakers do not currently have any concerns about smoke taint, which affected grapes in the 2020 vintage.
“Earlier in my career I was the winemaker leading the research winery at the Australian Wine Research Institute conducting experiments into smoke taint,” said Michael Coode of Pope Valley Winery. “Key determinants of smoke taint are proximity, timing of exposure, duration of exposure and fuels that burn in a fire. All of these determinants in the Pickett Fire are different from fires we’ve seen in the past. The Pickett Fire involved the burning of immature brush, with currently no structures involved. This produced ash from previously burned tinder and brush such as manzanita.”
Coode adds that the duration of smoke exposure was limited, with less total volume of smoke compared to 2020 and breezes that continue to push the smoke to the east (and away from Napa Valley).
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That doesn’t mean winemakers are ignoring concerns, particularly on Howell Mountain and in Pope Valley. “The smoke on Howell Mountain came and went over the past week,” said Laura Barrett, winemaker of Clif Family. “It’s too early to tell, but I think smoke impact will vary depending on which side of the mountain the vineyard is on and the elevation. As we all learn to farm alongside climate change, we are always on alert for smoke exposure and impact, and we will diligently test and taste.”
White wine grapes are the first to be picked. Sam Kaplan reported from Howell Mountain’s Arkenstone: “Sauvignon Blanc is starting soon, we have blue skies and clean air—really optimistic about my 20th harvest here.”
Emma Swain at St. Súpery echoes the sentiment. “We continue to have blue skies here, and certainly at Rutherford you can’t even tell there’s a fire in the Valley. Out of an abundance of caution and a desire for research, we will test as we noticed minimal amounts of smoke at different points over the last few days at our Dollarhide Ranch. It is certainly nothing like 2020 or 2017. We are immensely grateful for the low winds that have been to our favor along with the diligence and hard work of the firefighters.”
Not everyone escaped without problems, however. Elton Slone, president of Robert Craig Winery, reports that when the fire made its way to their Candlestick Vineyard on Howell Mountain on Friday, “Cal Fire lit a backfire on the southern perimeter of our Candlestick Vineyard on Friday, sending thick smoke over our vineyard.” While the tactic worked to slow the wildfire’s spread, he estimates he’s lost $1 million in farming costs, with only $300,000 in crop insurance and lost revenue of $4.5 million they would have made in 2027 and 2028 from bottled wine. “It’s some depressing back of the napkin work,” he said.
At more than 2,200 feet of elevation, the 26-acre Candlestick Vineyard was first planted in 1950 and acquired by Robert Craig in 2015. Slone still thanks Cal Fire for their work. “I’m thinking of all of those who have it worse than us along with all of the rare species that need this ecosystem to survive,” he said. “Our [estate] vineyard is in good shape and the fire is coming under control. Many people ask me what they can do to help, and I say, ‘Buy a case of world-class wine from us this week!’ Seriously.”
—With additional reporting by Aaron Romano
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