We would like to share a message about the Soberanes wildfire in Monterey County that has been blazing since July 22nd. First, sincere gratitude goes out to the more than 3,000 firefighters and all crew working hard to contain the fire. The heroic efforts of the state, county and local officials are appreciated by all and their pre-planning continues to mitigate potential threat for the community.

We would also like to show our appreciation for all those who have reached out to us with many phone calls and emails regarding any impact the fire has had on us. As a result, we would like to share info about our vineyard and location. As of July 29, the fire is at 32,000 acres and is 15% contained. The fire’s path follows highway 1 along the coast between the Carmel Highlands and Big Sur. We are extremely fortunate that the fire is still far from us. Big Sur, and the site of the  Soberanes fire (named for Soberanes Creek near Big Sur), are two mountain ridges away from the Santa Lucia Highlands and the Soberanes, Pisoni and Garys’ Vineyards and currently are not posing a risk to our vineyards.

One of the concerns that grape growers have regarding fires is the potential for what is called “smoke taint”. This is a condition where the vines absorb smoke from the atmosphere and the resulting wines are tainted by the smoke. This occurred in some vineyards during the 2008 fires throughout California. At present, we have not seen the level of smoke in the Salinas Valley and the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation for this to be a concern. This is, however, something we are watching very closely. For the most up-to-date information on the fire, you may visit the Cal Fire website

It is through times like these that we grasp the humbling effect that nature can have on us all. Our thoughts go out to our close friends in the Big Sur area.