Page 50 - Grapevine July-August 2019

Around The Vineyard

Insurance the wine is damaged and decide what it’s worth
on the market today. When I look at smoke taint
To Eddy, one of the most significant challenges damage, part of my assignment is to determine the
with smoke taint is how the problem is affecting extent of the damage for all parties concerned.” In
the insurance industry. “Smoke taint is a problem the future, Eddy believes, all growers will have crop
that is new for the insurance industry,” he said. insurance, and insurance companies will put smoke
“Policies for smoke taint are not specific, so each taint — along with specifics related to damage — in
insurance company approaches it differently.” If their policies. “We have never had this,” Eddy said.
a grape is damaged in the field, Eddy explained, “This is the outcome of what happened in 2017 in
that comes under crop insurance, and few growers California.”
in California have that, as it’s designed to cover
hazards such as frost damage and hail. While most Clearly, with global warming, the problem of
wineries have insurance that covers stock loss by smoke taint is here to stay. “We thought 2017 was
contamination, insurance companies haven’t yet a once-in-a-hundred-year event, but then 2018
addressed smoke taint as a contaminant. was worse,” Eddy told The Grapevine Magazine.
“There’s no reason to believe this isn’t going to
As a wine consultant, Eddy is knee-deep in insur- continue. Every year, we’re going to have issues.”
ance research. “I’ve worked with over 100 wine- In 2017, Napa was fortunate, because 80% of the
makers in the last year on this issue, and there’s grapes were already harvested when the fire broke
such a range of opinions. On one end of the spec- out, and, according to Eddy, impact on the consum-
trum, one guy says his wine is ruined, and he’s er was minimal. Next time around, winegrowers
throwing it down the drain. On the other end, a might not be so blessed. However, with leading
guy says, ‘It’s okay, I’m making the wine.’ Insurance smoke taint scientists helping the industry prepare
companies are taking the low road or the high road. for future wildfires, the damage may one day be
They can say the wine is not damaged or agree that contained.

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