A worker hand-harvesting grapes. (Wikimedia)

After four harrowing years of smoke and fires, Bay Area wineries rejoice in a ‘normal’ harvest, reports Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle. “In sharp contrast to the last several years, no Wine Country estates were destroyed, no Cabernet grapes tainted by smoke, no fermentations abandoned in the wake of an emergency evacuation order. Many vintners held their breath through the last few months, knowing that the state’s deadliest fire, the 2018 Camp Fire, wasn’t extinguished until Nov. 25. Instead, the region’s fall was smooth and easy — a brief and welcome reprieve from the serial disasters that had led this industry to fear it would never see “normal” again.”

In Wine Enthusiast, Jen Reeder explores how winery dogs are being used to sniff out pests, TCA and other contaminates.

In Fortune, Sheila Marikar looks at the return of luxury travel to Napa after the pandemic lockdown.

Felicity Carter mulls over mulled wine in the Drop.

In Wine-Searcher, W. Blake Gray talks to Javier Pagés, president of the Cava DO, about the region’s image problems and what’s ahead for the sparkling wine category.

The VinePair staff highlights five drinks trends to leave behind in the new year.

Stephen Finch of Vagabond Wines, a group of wine stores and wine bars around London, responds to Alder’s article on AI and wine published last week, arguing that a much simpler approach will suffice. Vagabond just launched a personalized wine-subscription service, as above, touted as AI-driven.