"I lost my life" -a painful wine-producing region Searching for the beginning July 30 14:07

Napa Valley, California, USA.

With the spread of vaccines, regulations on measures against the new coronavirus have been relaxed, and tourists have returned to the world-famous wine-producing regions.

While some wineries benefit greatly, others still face the harsh realities.

(Los Angeles bureau reporter Nana Yamada)

There is also a course of 80,000 yen per person!

"Theorem Vineyard" located on the hills of Napa Valley.

It is one of the most popular wineries offering fine wines.

The selling point is that you can enjoy a meal that goes well with wine while enjoying the scenery in the great outdoors, and the course ranges from about 10,000 yen in Japanese yen to about 80,000 yen, which is the highest.

The 80,000 yen course includes a winery tour, multiple wine tastings, course meals, and wine glass souvenirs, but it's quite pricey.

Still, reservations are already filled until October, partly due to the full resumption of economic activity.

Sales in the first half of the year have already more than doubled from last year, and the person in charge said, "I have to worry about running out of wine."

A little luxury

July 3rd (Saturday), when I visited for coverage, was the first day of three consecutive holidays with Independence Day in the United States in between.

A group of five men and women visited for lunch to celebrate the birthday of a friend who lives in California.

A woman who came from New York for her best friend's birthday is excited to say that she has been on a plane for the first time in a year and a half since the spread of the new coronavirus.

It has been vaccinated, and it is said that you can enjoy a long meal without worrying about infection if you are in a winery that is not crowded outdoors.

A female customer from New York,

"I stayed at home all the time because of the corona sickness. For a year and a half, I didn't go out to eat, I didn't meet my friends, and I didn't spend much money. I spoiled myself a little. It's okay, right? "

“I lost my life”

But while some wineries are booming, others face the harsh realities.

The suburbs of Napa Valley were hit by a large wildfire last year, with at least 30 wineries damaged by two of the largest wildfires.

One of them, Jerry Juliano, who ran "La Bogata Winery".

About 20 years ago, I started a winery that I had longed for, with the money I earned while working as a construction worker.

However, the vineyards and facilities were destroyed by a forest fire in August last year without a trace.

In the place where the tasting room used to be, there are still broken pieces of glass from wine bottles melted by wildfires.

Hundreds of vines were all charred to black, and only about 10 bear fruit.

He once tried to rebuild it, but he has to give up.

Jerry Juliano

"

Running a

winery has been a dream for many years and it was my life. The damage this time is the same as losing my life. More than 100 million yen to re-equip the equipment needed to run the winery. I need, but I can't afford to make such a large sum of money, so I'm afraid I have no choice but to give up rebuilding. "

I want to stay involved in wine

Juliano is now selling a small amount of wine left over at a family-owned restaurant.

However, it is expected to sell out soon, and I am sad that I will not be able to enjoy the wine I made anymore.

We plan to sell the vineyards, the site of the winery, and the adjacent home.

He says he hasn't found the answer to what kind of work he will get in the future, but he also says he wants to find a job related to wine, such as consulting for people who want to run a winery.

I was told that I had a strong attachment to the winery.

Long-term measures

Wildfires that occur almost every year.

Global warming has been pointed out as one of the backgrounds.

Even if a damaged winery can be rebuilt at a great cost, the fear of not knowing when a wildfire will occur will not disappear.

Is there anything that a winery can do to combat global warming?

Nowadays, what is attracting attention locally is a farming method called "carbon farming" that does not emit even a small amount of greenhouse gases.

Cover the fields with compost to prevent the release of carbon in the soil, or plant another plant between the vines to absorb carbon dioxide and improve soil quality.

According to Mikey Garcia, who teaches carbon farming in Napa Valley and is familiar with soil environmental surveys, 70 wineries have adopted it in the last two years or so.

Mikey Garcia

"Grape farmers recognize that wildfires are an imminent danger that can happen at any time and are beginning to seriously think about what they can do to curb the effects of climate change, such as extreme droughts and high temperatures. Incorporating carbon farming has great potential to mitigate the effects of climate change. ”

“ If you include more carbon, you can create a more fertile soil that not only grows well, but is also abnormal. It also leads to a soil environment that is competitive with the weather. "

A small step is also useful

Under the guidance of Mr. Miguel, I visited "Honic Vineyard & Winery", which is working on carbon farming in earnest.

Last year's wildfire escaped direct damage, but owner Christine Berea is worried that the smoke will affect the quality of the grapes harvested this fall.

Mr. Berea adopted carbon farming because he wanted to continue to produce wines of satisfactory quality not only for his own generation but also for the next generation.

Christine Berea

"Even if you can't solve it by yourself, everyone should be able to do it. Even a small step can help, so don't give up."

This has already reached record high temperatures in the western United States and Canada, and has been hit by wildfires one after another.

As an immediate measure for a winery, it is said that the watering pipes used in the fields should be replaced with non-combustible materials, and walls surrounding the fields and facilities should be installed.

I hope that the combination of such immediate measures and longer-term measures against global warming will increase the sustainability of one of the world's leading wine producing regions in the long run.

When I ate wine, I wanted to be able to think about the anguish and effort of the winery.

Los Angeles bureau reporter

Nana Yamada

Joined in 2009

After working at Nagasaki Broadcasting Station, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Department of International Affairs, etc.