One of the brick buildings damaged in the Napa Earthquake – Vintners Collective Tasting Bar

This is a Napa earthquake update for wine country travelers. If you have been watching the news reports on the Napa earthquake, you most likely have seen a shot of this building. It is one of the several brick and masonry buildings that was badly damaged in the Napa earthquake on Sunday. This building houses the Vintner’s Collective. I shot this photo in 2005, so the Vintner’s Collective has been doing business for a good number of years. It is a wonderful tasting room that pours wines from selected small vintners. They are now using their warehouse space around the corner to service tourists. We hope this historic building can be saved.  See the Vintner’s Collective Website for details

Here is the latest I have from the wineries that have released reports on earthquake losses:

• Saintsbury – 25 cases of past vintages, library wines lost, 50 wine barrels totally lost.
• Bouchaine – 40 wine barrels fell and the winery is still determining the wine loss.
• Ceja Vineyards Tasting Room – several cases of wine lost and wine glasses and art work shattered.
• Sebastiani – Reports that 19 stainless tanks have been damaged and have leaked grape juice.
• Hess Collection – a 10,000 tank holding the Cab 2013 vintage ruptured, resulting in the loss of 15,000 cases of wine.
• Silver Oak – wine barrels toppled with some losses.  Wine bottles used to compare past vintages were lost.
• Trefethen – historic tasting room buckles

In the coming days, more wineries are expected to report wine losses.

Labor Day Weekend in the Napa Valley

For wine country travelers to the Napa Valley this coming Labor Day weekend,  it should almost be business as usual throughout the Napa Valley. If your lodging and restaurant reservations are in the town of Napa, be sure to call and check on your bookings.

CBS Newscast on Tuesday, August 26 on the Napa Earthquake