What Climate Change Might Do to Your Favorite Wine [Wall Street Journal]
In this grape-growing season we have seen massive floods wash out vineyards in western Germany and severe drought affect California’s wine regions. Is it possible that certain places may no longer be viable for the grapes traditionally grown there? And how might wine regions and the characteristics that define their wines shift as a result? “There is no question that we can continue to make wine in Napa,” said UC Davis professor Elizabeth Forrestel, who works with California grape growers in gathering research, “but that’s not to say that practices won’t change.” She cited the need to pick grapes earlier, change water application practices and perhaps plant other varieties. “I think that Cabernet will still be there, but there will be more grape diversity,” she said.
More than 550 homes destroyed by Dixie fire, now at over half a million acres [Los Angeles Times]
The second-largest wildfire in California history now also ranks among the state’s most destructive. The blaze — which has scorched Plumas, Lassen, Butte and Tehama counties — is now the 15th most destructive in California history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. And the threat is far from over, as the fire continues to grow in several directions across rugged terrain. It was 30% contained on Wednesday. More than 16,000 additional structures are still endangered by the Dixie fire, and firefighters are on high alert in vulnerable communities. Roughly 32% of the population of Plumas County is under an evacuation order, according to Carly Cabrera, a spokesperson with the county Sheriff’s Office.
See a real-time map of catastrophic wildfire in California — and every wildfire in US [Sacramento Bee]
A real-time map shows 199 wildfires in the U.S. through Wednesday — with one being the second largest in California history. The Dixie fire stands as the second largest fire and it’s still burning. The state’s largest fire is the August Complex, which scorched more than one million acres last August, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Data on each wildfire, which is updated every 15 minutes, is based on information gathered by the Integrated Reporting of Wildland-Fire Information and the National Interagency Fire Center, according to the mapping software’s website.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article253430304.html
Emergency water delivery aims to help birds, fish at Tule Lake [Klamath Falls Herald and News]
Water is headed to a critically dry wetland unit on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge to combat avian botulism, thanks to an arrangement forged between various agencies and stakeholders in the Klamath Basin. On Tuesday, waterfowl conservation organization Ducks Unlimited announced that, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tulelake Irrigation District and local farmers, they had secured 10,000 acre-feet of water to deliver to the sump without significant impact to key water features in the basin. The water will be “borrowed” from PacifiCorp’s hydroelectric reservoirs on the Klamath River, a practice that has been used in recent drought years to provide relatively small emergency flows for downriver communities, including the Yurok Tribe’s boat dance in 2020. By lowering the reservoirs by 10,000 acre-feet and adjusting flows upstream, the action isn’t expected to majorly affect flows out of Iron Gate Dam or the elevation of Upper Klamath Lake.
Two Thao family farms consider their post-pandemic future [Los Angeles Times]
After nearly a decade of running his parents’ farm in Fresno, Kong Thao, the 36-year-old figurehead of Thao Family Farm, will no longer sell produce at Southern California farmers markets. “We will not be back in L.A. for any more markets,” his post read. “I think this is a good time to slow my parents down and give them more time with their grandkids.” Amid a year of sagging sales and other COVID-related hurdles, Thao was not the only farmer to withdraw from the farmers market circuit, but his absence was felt acutely. The 300 varieties of produce grown on his family’s 30-acre farm — a list that included everything from sweet potato leaves to red amaranth to sprouting radish — were highlighted regularly at restaurants such as Rustic Canyon, Gjelina, Kismet, Orsa & Winston, Felix, Majordomo, Night + Market, A.O.C., Jon & Vinny’s and République.
Win for vegan butter: Miyoko’s Creamery scores legal victory in plant-based labeling battle [San Francisco Chronicle]
A federal court has ruled in favor of Sonoma County vegan outfit Miyoko’s Creamery in its lawsuit against the state, potentially helping set a precedent for future labeling of plant-based food in California. Miyoko’s, known nationwide for its cashew-based dairy products, sued the California Department of Food and Agriculture in 2020 after the state sent a letter telling the company to stop using dairy terms like “butter,” “cheese” and “lactose-free” on its packaging. Represented by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Miyoko’s argued this violated the company’s First Amendment right to free speech. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California agreed.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Win-for-vegan-butter-Miyoko-s-Creamery-scores-16380138.php
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