HEALDSBURG, Calif. (AP) - The wineries of Sonoma County are largely unharmed despite fires that raged through the area this fall.
Nearly 95% of the harvest was done for the year, and only one winery burned to the ground. The vast majority of vineyards and tasting rooms are unharmed.
But the wine industry in the area about an hour of north of San Francisco has seen a drop in tourism caused by the wildfire and a perception that the damage was more wide-ranging.
This is the second serious fire in three years to threaten the vineyards and winemakers are getting serious about buying backup generators for power outages. They are also making sure their land and the areas around it are as clear of brush as possible to avoid giving fuel to the fire.
