California: a grower in quebec draws to good account

Photo Facebook
Patrice Breton
Winemaker

Valerie Gonthier

Tuesday, 10 October 2017 20:30

UPDATE
Tuesday, 10 October 2017 20:30

Look at this article

A winemaker from quebec who has feared losing its vines as other producers due to major forest fires in the Napa Valley, in California, is doing to good account and will eventually have to wash his grapes.

Patrice Breton has been very hot this weekend, when high winds triggered fires uncontrollable in the wine regions north of San Francisco.

Mr. Breton and his wife, also a native of Quebec, lived at St Helena, in the center of the Napa valley. Like thousands of other people, they fled their home this week-end, by security measure. They took refuge in the home of friends, near San Francisco.

“Same here, the sky is grey, there are the big, thick haze and ash on the cars,” described Mr. Breton, owner at Vice Versa Wines, and Apriori, of which some products are available at the SAQ.

Grapes to wash

Unlike other producers who have seen their vineyards to be destroyed, Mr. Breton will have that to wash his grapes before closing its harvest.

“At this moment, it’s snowing again out of the ashes. We still have two vineyards to pick the grapes. Therefore, it is certain that we’re going to have to clean out the ashes on the grapes, otherwise it will change the wine,” explains the producer.

Its wines already established in the tank before the fire will not be affected either.

“The smell of smoke and ashes, we don’t want it to go into the wine. Everything we do is in vats of wine sealed, ” says Mr. Breton.

This technology prevents the risk of human error in the production of the wine and avoid it being contaminated by bacteria and fungi.

“It is very expensive, but it saves us,” he said.

Other of his fellow growers have not had his luck. Some winemakers in the region have seen the entirety of their vineyards to be destroyed.

“If the vines are affected, it is irreplaceable and your business is devastated,” says the one who produces wine in California for over 14 years.