RE: An Appropriate (pre)FIX for #WineCountry

Last week there were three words that I kept typing:

Devastating

Unbelievable

Heartbreaking

This week, I am reading updates and I keep thinking three words in RE-sponse.

RE-silient

RE-bounding

RE-opening

I am receiving press RE-lease after update after post and the message RE-mains the same:

We are opening. We need your support. We are strong.

And yet there are also reports of empty streets and empty tasting rooms. This yields empty pockets and magnifies an already challenging situation.

I received the following plea over the weekend by V. Sattui asking the media to help get the word out that Napa and Sonoma are open for business:

WHY: The nightly images of the devastation broadcasted around the world have given the impression that damage to wineries and vineyards was widespread. It was not.

Of the nearly 500 wineries in the Napa Valley, only 7 wineries were severely damaged or lost.

Damage to vineyards was very minimal, as vineyards make effective fire breaks and 90% of crop was picked prior to the fires.

The fires burned predominantly in the forested hills and the well-known wineries situated between Hwy 29 and Silverado were nearly untouched by fire.

The impression left by these graphic images have caused many to cancel plans on visiting Wine Country. The perception of devastation in the Napa Valley is greater than reality.

In the wake of the Fire Disaster:

Innkeepers reporting that most reservations in the next month have been cancelled

Tour Operators reporting mass cancellations

Wineries and restaurants are seeing a fraction of the number of visitors that are usually here during the harvest season.

No traffic.The traffic that many locals complain about is nonexistent. Roads are empty.

Many of the victims of the disaster are experiencing a double disaster for lack of work and or layoffs due to lack of business