Smoke was a big issue last year for vineyards and was one of the reasons that wine production in 2020 dropped 50% in Napa.
Rep. Mike Thompson emphasized this point in his funding request for research into the effect of smoke on wine grapes. This fund, which will receive $5 million in federal funding, will be established through the Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration subcommittee’s FY2022 appropriations bill.
Through the US Department of Agriculture’s Mitigating the Adverse Consequences of Wildfire Smoke on Wine Grapes Program, industry representatives will have the opportunity to collaborate with land grant university researchers in West Coast states to determine what causes grapes to be damaged by smoke and how to best mitigate this damage. Additionally, it will enable improved risk assessment and prediction, reducing uncertainty for producers operating in fire-prone areas.
Read Rep. Mike Thompson’s letter request for funds here.