Napa wineries adapting to changing weather conditions
NAPA -- As extreme weather batters California throughout the year, wineries are making subtle changes that could help in big ways.
A unique strategy implemented by a winery during the drought looks like it's also helping during heavy rains.
"You see here the soil is moist and crumbly," said Kirk Reid.
At Napa's Reid Family Winery, Kirk and his son Kevin started placing mounds of rice straw under his grapevines as the drought conditions kept getting worse.
Now that the rainy season has arrived, the practice might also be the eco-friendly fix for vineyards trying to save water.
"The yield, which was double last year from the year before was possibly due or at least some of it due to the presence of the mulch we put down," Reid said.
Not only did the yield double, the retired doctor who turned his passion for wine-making into a family business, believes the quality of grapes from last year's harvest may be the winery's best yet.
What's beneficial for business, looks even better for the environmentally conscious.
"We've always been proud of the fact that we try to be good stewards of the land," said Kevin Reid.
Every year Kevin and his family host a fundraiser for Multiple Sclerosis research.
They're committed to finding a cure.
For now, the father-son duo is keeping a close eye on their vines, especially when it rains.
Since laying down rice straw, they're not seeing gullies and rivulets form on their sloping vineyard, during atmospheric rivers..
"It kept the weeds down. It prevented the erosion we would normally see and I think contributed to the minimization of evaporated loss of water," said Reid.
To keep vines from dying they've had to use vast amounts of costly water, but the rice straws have changed that.
"We were able to water significantly less last year," said Reid.
In pouring rain, and even in dry times, there are plenty of reasons for a toast.
The sips of vintage to come, from rice-straw covered vines, seems promising.
"Who knows. Maybe other vineyards might want to take advantage of that style and keep some of that water in the ground. If it increases the quality of the grapes that's a win win," Reid said.
That's worth raising a glass and the bar, for a winery, seeking sustainable strategies, to keep fine wine flowing.
The Reids think they'll have to replace the rice-straw every 4-to-5 years.
Some research and studies show using wheat-straw could be difficult to keep in place in windy areas.
The Reids have also minimized tilling in their vineyard to prevent additional carbon release.
