Justin Vineyards assailed for clearcutting oak grove in Paso Robles

If you look at the before and after photos in this article, you can see a dramatic loss of forest, clear-cut so that the winery can build a huge retention/irrigation pond and build more vineyards. Angry neighbors say the use of so much water is pretentious and wasteful in a time of drought, and the loss of the oaks is ecologically devastating.

I have mixed feelings here. Almonds are the extreme water users in California, and their prodigious thirst for water (and the state's refusal to further reduce water use for almonds) is a prime cause of the current water shortage. Arguments that there is already enough cleared land for new vineyards, are persuasive. The oaks there, as in the Sierra Foothills AVA, are gorgeous and important, so a massive loss of them is bad news; it is possible to leave little stands of trees here and there, and plant vineyards around those, so I wish it had been done here.

Wineries like Justin need to be careful, to take care of the land they own and to avoid upsetting their target customers. If there is continuing outcry, and perhaps movement away from the Justin brand(s), that could discourage others from clearcutting these wonderful oak groves.