Whether or not you’re a skier or snowboarder, you know the adage. If it’s raining in San Francisco, it must be snowing in Tahoe. Here’s another one: If it’s raining in Napa and Sonoma Wine Country, it must be snowing in the Sierra foothills’ high-elevation vineyards.

Yes, that’s right. Snowy vineyards. In California.

This year has been the wettest on record in the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — and all that precipitation has turned parts of El Dorado County into a snowy vineyard wonderland. (The snow is melted now, but you should’ve seen it about two weeks ago.)

And guess what? Snow is great for grapevines — as long as it doesn’t last into the spring.

“These cold, snowy winters keep vines in that nice sustained dormancy state,” says Kevin Jones, whose family owns Lava Cap Winery in Placerville. At 2,700 feet elevation, the vineyard has received between 14 and 18 inches of snow so far this year, whereas 9 to 12 inches is typical.

It’s only once the winter dormancy period ends, and buds begin to break through, that snow and cold temperatures become an issue. At that point, frost could kill the fragile buds, which will, a few months down the line, transform into grapes. But budbreak still looks to be at least a few weeks away in El Dorado.

While the vines remain budless, “they need this rest,” says Jonathan Lachs, owner and winemaker at Cedarville Vineyard, which has received about 20 inches of snow at its 2,500-foot site. “The cold is really good for the vines in dormancy to translocate carbs into the root zone.”

The later budbreak occurs, the later the harvest will eventually be in the summer, which often leads to higher wine quality. Added snow bonuses: “Sustained freezing temperatures help knock some of the pests back,” says Jones, like mealybugs and budworms. And, of course, snow means a big drink of water for the soil — a much-needed replenishment of the water table after years of drought.

In relation to those recent, dry vintages, “this year’s snowfall has felt exceptional,” Lachs says. “But the funny thing is that we used to get this kind of snow all the time in the mid-90s. This year feels closer to what a ‘normal’ growing season used to be.”

Lachs is hoping to take advantage of next week’s forecasted warm spell to get out and start pruning — the vineyard has been too wet recently for a tractor — “and it’s gonna be frantic,” he says, to get that done before buds start bursting.

In the meantime, they’ll be checking the forecast for any last-of-the-season flurries. And, of course, late-season skiing.

And speaking of precipitation, Tara Duggan and I looked at the systemic issues facing winemakers in Sebastopol’s Barlow complex, who are still trying to pick up the pieces from the tremendous Russian River floods two weeks ago. Few of the wineries had flood insurance, and many are now resorting to crowd funding to finance their repairs.

Where I’m drinking

On its own, Cellarmaker beer is enough to lure me somewhere, so I was pretty thrilled when I heard that the brewery would open a second San Francisco taproom that serves crispy-edged Detroit style pizza too. Maggie Hoffman considers the Cellarmaker House of Pizza, which took over the Old Bus Tavern space in Bernal Heights, in this week’s Drink Up column, and she adds a particularly hot take. “I’ll just go ahead and say it: Cellarmaker brews San Francisco’s best hoppy beers,” Hoffman writes. “Go ahead and @ me.” Go ahead.

What I’m reading

You may have caught a familiar wine industry name in the big news about the college admissions bribery scandal: Agustin Huneeus Jr., whose Huneeus Vintners owns Quintessa, Flowers, Faust and other California wineries. He is charged with bribing the USC water polo coach and with paying for help for his daughter’s SAT exam.

The big news in the fine-dining sphere this week was that the Michelin Guide will expand to cover restaurants throughout California, not just San Francisco. But should we be concerned that the tourism board Visit California just gave Michelin $600,000? My (brand new!) colleague Janelle Bitker reports.

Alfonso Cevola helps spread the word about Bichi, the very hot natural wine producer in Baja, in the Dallas News. This winery is so cool it doesn’t even know what grapes are planted in its vineyards.

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Read More

In the New York Times, Eric Asimov follows one man’s quest to make great Nebbiolo in Australia’s Yarra Valley.

P.S. Over on The Press, we’ve got a guide to visiting the wineries of past Chronicle Winemakers of the Year, going all the way back to our accolades from 2002.

Drinking with Esther is a weekly newsletter from The Chronicle’s wine critic. Follow along on Twitter: @Esther_Mobley and Instagram: @esthermob