California wine producers are fortunate that the corona virus didn’t strike during harvest. Here in Florida, many farmers have let their crops go to waste because with restaurants closed there aren’t enough customers — including food banks. Fruit is perishable and has a very short shelf life. Same with grapes, which don’t ripen until fall.

Yesterday I was talking to Dana Epperson, a winemaker at Duckhorn’s chardonnay program that is made under it’s fabulous Migration label. She said her team is engaged in determining the blends for the 2020 wines. She and another winemaker take home beakers of various chardonnays, then taste them together virtually. Life goes on.

Epperson said it would have been far different if the crisis struck during harvest. Maybe they could have found enough pickers, but could they have processed the grapes without close contact? California was pretty restrictive in distancing.

Other wine growing regions — South Africa, South America, Australia, New Zealand — aren’t so lucky as they head into their peak harvest season. Their governments have allowed them to remain open as an essential industry, but they have to restrict the number of personnel involved in vinifying the grapes.

Let’s hope this crisis is over by September.