Hopland, CA, October 10, 2017– A series of wildfires ignited by dry conditions and strong winds lateSunday has impacted numerous areas in California including Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma Counties. According to Cal Fire, some 17 large wildfires continue to burn across the state of California and have consumed over 115,000 acres. Fetzer Vineyards’ employees and their families are accounted for and safe, and our winery and nearly 1,000 acres of Mendocino County vineyards remain out of harm’s way. Regions most severely impacted by fire in Mendocino County are the northerly Redwood Valley and Potter Valley areas, where a fire called the Redwood Complex has consumed 21,000 acres as of today and remains active. Fetzer Vineyards’ headquarters is located in the Hopland area, more than 20 miles south of this fire, and is not under threat at this time.
Status of Grape Harvest
As of today, Fetzer Vineyards has harvested a significant portion of grapes to be picked this harvest season and we continue to process fruit for the 2017 harvest at our Hopland winery. Scheduling and coordinating remaining picks is a priority, and we are following a safety-first approach while moving ahead with the harvest as quickly as possible. It remains unclear the extent to which our grower partners have been affected by the state’s fires, and our thoughts are with our partners and everyone impacted by these events.
About Fetzer Vineyards
Founded in 1968 by Barney Fetzer in Mendocino County, California, Fetzer Vineyards is an award-winning purveyor of wines from sustainable, organic and biodynamic grapes. In addition to robust offerings under the winery’s flagship Fetzer label, the winery also crafts the leading wine from organic grapes, Bonterra Organic Vineyards, named the 2016 American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine. Other California-based offerings include Adorada, Anthony’s Hill, Jekel Vineyards, Sanctuary Wines and 1000 Stories, a Bourbon barrel-aged Zinfandel recognized as a 2017 IMPACT Hot Prospect brand. Part of global winery Viña Concha y Toro, Fetzer Vineyards exports its diverse wines to more than 30 countries worldwide. Most recently, the winery entered the ultra-luxury wine and spirits category by forging a partnership with Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. to sell its historic craft rye whiskey. www.fetzer.com
