Napa Valley Earthquake Updates

We always prefer to start the blogging week with lighter fare. However, the weekend earthquake brought extensive damage to the Napa Valley towns, and to the wine industry as well. We normally stock product from some of the wineries noted in the article, like Silver Oak, Robert Biale, and B. R. Cohn. In fact, we had just received the new vintage release from Silver Oak. We offer a few reports:

From the Drudge Report

 From Wine Spectator:

Several historic buildings in downtown Napa were severely damaged, including the post office and county courthouse, plus the Alexandria Building, built in 1910 and home to many businesses like the Carpe Diem Wine Bar. The stone facade of the Pfeiffer Building, built in 1875 and home to the Vintner’s Collective tasting room, was badly damaged.

Photos of broken wine bottles and wine barrels heaved from their racks quickly spread through social media. “I’ve been at the winery since 4:30 a.m.,” said David Duncan, president of Silver Oak Cellars in Oakville. "I cleaned up my house first."

Silver Oak lost hundreds of bottles from a rare collection of single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, and three oak barrels of wine were damaged. “Luckily the barrels didn’t burst, so we were able to salvage most of the wine,” said Duncan. “The collection of bottles is literally priceless. I cleaned that up myself with a shovel.”

At Robert Biale Vineyards, south of Yountville, ten barrels of Zinfandel and Sangiovese were lost when a row of racks collapsed. “Thank God there were no cellar guys working—3:20 a.m. is a good time for a wine country earthquake,” said winery partner Dave Pramuk.

Click here for the full article.

From abc13

From the Washington Post:

The country’s well-known wine-making region, Napa Valley, was at the epicenter of the earthquake responsible for dozens of injuries and damages estimated to surpass $1 billion. And wine that bled out on cellar floors will make up a hefty chunk of the lost revenue. The valley’s more than 500 wineries generate some $13 billion a year for the regional economy, according to Napa Valley Vintners, a trade organization.

“It’s devastating. I’ve never seen anything like this,” Tom Montgomery, a winemaker for B.R. Cohn Winery in Glen Ellen, Calif., told the Associated Press. He said the winery lost “as much as 50 percent” of its wine.

Click here for the full article.

Click here for an updated report from the local CBS affiliate.

Click here for an in-depth article from the local newspaper, The Press Democrat.