As you know, we “discovered” the Malibu Coast AVA a few years ago and have been happily sharing its wines with you. I think the best that we did here was the narration by one of our writers, Dick, when he and Jarlene traveled up the coast of California and stopped in Malibu.
Even though Malibu has been around as an AVA only a few years (2014), and people have just begun to take notice, grapes have been grown in the region since the 1800s.
Unfortunately, Malibu was dealt a near-fatal blow in November as the Woolsey Fire ravaged homes, estates, wild lands, and vineyards. I was able to glean information from first-hand witness accounts, news articles and reports, and I want to share them with you.
The Malibu Coast AVA
This article has a bit of information about the fire. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, there weren’t any detailed particulars available.
The Beverage Industry Enthusiast
Their article begins with “The nearly 100,000-acre Woolsey Fire, a fast-moving blaze already responsible for at least three deaths and massive property damage, scorched Malibu’s emerging wine industry as well.”
This article also has a lot of information about the area as a whole, not just the wine region.
But here’s the thing, and I was only a little surprised to learn from the vintners that they felt that the vineyards actually protected many of them from the fire. The primary point that was made was because of the vineyards, the damage wasn’t as extensive as it could have been.
Other sites covering the fires include Wine Industry Advisor, the Los Angeles Times, information from the State of California, and, of course, the Malibu City website.
