Natural disasters hit the U.S. hard in 2017. As if it weren't enough to have back-to-back hurricanes and flooding in the Southeast, California's wine country also took a beating. Ferocious wildfires spread quickly through homes, businesses and vineyards, jumping highways to burn nearly everything in their path. Then, Southern California battled raging flames as well — five fires that filled a space as large as New York City and Boston combined, according to CNN.

Agents and brokers, insurers and policyholders have all learned from this experience and will carry that knowledge with them. This will hold true for all insurable risks in the region from personal property to businesses of all sizes, particularly wineries.

I was on the ground assisting our adjusters immediately after the area was opened to us. On the scene after the fires passed, we could see nothing left on some properties but lone chimneys standing and burned shells of cars and trucks. Neighborhoods were burned to the ground. Entire wineries were taken out, vineyard estate dwellings burned, irrigation systems and pump stations ruined. Fortunately, about 85% of the region's grapes had been harvested before the fire and will continue to make their way to store shelves.