El Dorado County Vineyards Threatened By Caldor Fire

3 years ago 392

EL DORADO COUNTY (CBS13) — The Caldor Fire is inactive blazing crossed El Dorado County arsenic vineyards hole to harvest hundreds of acres.

Winemaker Brian Wilhelm cannot judge the Caldor Fire is inactive a threat.

Tuesday morning, crews backburned on Slug Gulch Road starring to Charles B. Mitchell Vineyards successful Somerset. Their extremity is to halt the occurrence from causing further destruction.

“The grapes are acceptable and we can’t bash thing astir it. The powerfulness has been disconnected and we are conscionable connected hold,” Wilhelm said.

The occurrence is impacting implicit 2 twelve vineyards successful the area. Wilhelm says getting crews to harvest is an issue.

“We’d beryllium retired successful the vineyards. We would beryllium crushing, and the winery—all the tanks would beryllium afloat of vino but not close now,” helium said.

At adjacent Gold Mountain Vineyard, the past fewer days person been nerve-wracking arsenic they watched the occurrence creep closer.

They accidental grapes truthful acold person not been impacted by ash. Smoke is their concern.

“This is slowing down the ripening process connected the vine conscionable due to the fact that of the deficiency of agleam sunlight,” Wilhelm said.

But it could beryllium a mates of years earlier they cognize the afloat effect.

“Make the vino and spot what happens and crook it into moonshine if we can’t marque a bully wine,” Wilhelm said.

No harvest would mean millions successful losses per winery.

So far, nary vineyards person burned. Many are thankful firefighters held the occurrence enactment conscionable extracurricular Bumgarner Vineyard.

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“People astir present person been moving truly hard to support their properties,” Wilhelm said. “Neighbors helping neighbors? Yup.”