Silver lining in the California clouds

The January storms that pummelled California, causing an estimated £24bn in damage, also provided a desperately needed gift to the wineries.

Jason Haas at Tablas Creek Vineyard couldn’t reach his vines for several days and had to close his tasting room for a while, but he is optimistic.

Winter rains, which nourish vines while they are still dormant and have not yet started to grow grapes, are “almost always a good thing”, said Haas. “It will ensure that the vines have enough vigour to ripen the crop this year. It’s not a guarantee the wines are going to be great, but it eliminates one of the biggest worries that we have: that there’s not going to be enough water to keep the vines growing.” BBC, January 19