Neal Family Vineyards Suffers Losses in Fire on Howell Mountain

From Wine Searcher today comes news of one of Napa's leading organic vineyard experts on his family vines and wines.

Neal farms approximately 1,000 acres of organic vines and is the vineyard consultant/manager for Heitz Cellar, the largest organic vineyard owner in Napa.

On Monday, Neal Family Vineyards was surrounded by fire on all sides.

"My son and I helped the fire fighters who were just wiped out from fighting the fires the night before," Mark Neal, Neal Family Vineyards' owner and the co-founder of the Jack Neal & Son Vineyard Management company in Rutherford, recalled on Tuesday morning. "This fire is nasty, there's a lot of wind, and it's burning a lot hotter than wildfires have in past years because there's so much dead brush in the forests, plus the hot weather and low humidity. Some of this is Mother Nature, but some things, like practicing better forestry, would have made the fires a lot less intense."

The firefighters and the Neal family saved their vineyard and structures, but the fruit is lost. He grows grapes organically for himself and others; about 10 percent of his haul goes to his own 3000-4000 case line, but the remaining 90 percent goes to other winemakers.

"I am dropping 150 tons on the valley floor this year," Neal says. "I don't want my name attached to that fruit."