If a fire rages merciless through a vineyard, does that mean it’s curtains for that vineyard, or is regeneration still possible?
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It would mean that year’s production will be impacted or completely gone. If the vines don’t actually burn, they’ll get something call smoke taint which will ruin the flavor of the grapes and therefore the wine those grapes would make. The next season’s grapes that come in should be fine though.
If the plants die, it’s a whole big problem, because they are usually grafted and clonally propagated, never planted from seed, so you would have to clonally propagate them again if they die.
If the plants survive, or at least the rootstocks, then it would be much easier to recover for next year, but wildfire smoke taints the taste of the grapes. The smoke can alter the harvest and make the wine taste worst for a year. So if the smoke is really bad but the plants survive, then it could ruin a harvest, if they die it’s a big problem getting new plants, as they must all be clonally propagated once again.
The smoke recently has been causing problems in BC affecting taste somehow, not sure why it impacts it.
Typically vines take 3-5 years before they bear grapes useable in winemaking. Although the older the vines, the better the grapes. Or so the saying goes.
Vineyards are typically insured against this type of thing. So if it were to happen they’ve got financial backing for a few years while they get the operation going again.
Depends on how badly the woody crown of the vines is affected.
Some of the vines may need to be ripped out. Depending on the grower, they may just replant the whole affected section.
You can also regraft with cuttings from other vines, if the crowns aren’t too badly scorched which grapevines are almost always grafted onto a hybrid rootstock which provides them with disease and pest resistance.
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