A row of grapes is seen inside the quasi greenhouse at the Oregon State University's vineyard near Alpine, Ore., on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. The U.S. West Coast produces over 90% of America's wine, but it's also prone to wildfires, a combustible combination that spelled disaster in 2020 and one that scientists, including at Oregon State, are scrambling to neutralize.FILE - A U.S. postal delivery vehicle drives past at a smoke-shrouded vineyard in Salem, Ore., on Wednesday, Sept.
The risk to America's premier wine-making regions — where wildfires caused billions of dollars in losses in 2020 — is growing, with climate change deepening drought and overgrown forests becoming tinderboxes. According to the, grapes are the highest-value crop in the United States, with 1 million acres of grape-bearing land, 96% of it on the West Coast.
Previously, grapes exposed to smoke in the MacGyvered setup were made into wine by Elizabeth Tomasino, an associate professor leading Oregon State's efforts, and her researchers. Wine made with tainted grapes can be so awful that it can't be marketed. If it does go on shelves, a winemaker's reputation could be ruined — a risk that few are willing to take.
Between 165,000 to 325,000 tons of California wine grapes were left to wither on the vine in 2020 due to actual or perceived wildfire smoke exposure, said Natalie Collins, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers.