To: All Wine Road wineries

From: SSU Wine Business Institute

In the aftermath of the 2017 North Bay wildfires, the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University identified a need for a clearly defined, fact-based assessment of the true impact of the fires on the North Coast Wine Industry.

Early accounts of the fires led to inaccurate reports of damage to wineries and vineyards, which posed a threat to the vitality of our industry through a perceived image of a “destroyed” wine region.

The Wildfire Impact Assessment will become a vital tool to educate the industry and the media, establish a clear set of facts, and facilitate plans for future revitalization of our industry.

To make this assessment as accurate as possible, we need your help and input. We have created a simple survey to capture critical information about the impact of the fires that is not collected elsewhere. While the geography of the fires was limited, many of the impacts were widespread so your participation is essential.

The survey takes only 8 to 10 minutes to complete; neither your name nor the name of your wine business will be collected. Please click on the link below and take a few minutes to answer the questions:
SSU Wildfire Survey

We plan to share preliminary results at the Unified Symposium in January 2018. In addition, we will share the aggregated results of the survey with all participants as a means for you to benchmark your business against the rest of the industry.

If you have questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact us:
Honore Comfort comfort@sonoma.edu and 707.738.8632
Ray Johnson Ray.Johnson@sonoma.edu and 707.664.3071

Many thanks for your help and important input on this initiative that will greatly benefit our North Coast wine and grape growing industry as we continue to restore and revitalize our community after these devastating fires.

Best Regards,
Honore Comfort & Ray Johnson
Wine Business Institute
Sonoma State University