CA: Wine warehouse fire destroys millions in rare vintages

ap on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 10/14/05 | Michelle Locke - ap

[NormsRevenge]

NAPA, Calif. (AP) - California wine country was reeling after a huge warehouse fire wiped out millions worth of rare vintages.

No one was seriously injured in the fire, the cause of which was still under investigation, and the losses weren't expected to put a big dent in the state's multibillion-dollar wine industry.

But for some, the potential loss of years of effort and hope spelled big trouble.

"It is a terrible thing," said Gary Lipp, who suspects that most of his 2003 cabernet sauvignon and all of his 2004 pinot noir are gone.

Lipp and Brooks Painter, both wine industry veterans, started the small Coho Wines brand three years ago and had been getting good reviews.

They still have some wine stored in another warehouse and some in barrels. But the new wine will have to be aged at least 18 months before it can be sold, meaning stalled momentum during the crucial holiday period.

"We'll send letters to our customers telling them we look forward to seeing them again in the spring of 2007," said Lipp with resigned good humor. He's hopeful he'll be able to keep the brand going although he predicts a tough couple of years.

The same dilemma was facing Julie Johnson of the Tres Sabores winery in St. Helena, a premium producer of cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel.

Johnson, who's been building up the brand for seven years, stored half of her 2002 vintage and all of her 2003 in the warehouse. That includes most of her cabernet sauvignon, savored by fans for its fruit-forward flavor underpinned with the tannic spice known as "Rutherford dust," from the area's famous growing soils.

"I'm really hoping that it's just water damage," Johnson said. "I buy the best corks in the business just for such an eventuality. If it's just label damage, then I'll have a huge party and everyone can come and relabel."

The fire broke out Wednesday afternoon in the warehouse, which is on the old Navy shipyard of Mare Island in Vallejo, just south of the Napa Valley and about 30 miles northeast of San Francisco.

Warehouse general manager Debbie Polverino was there when alarms started going off. "I turned around and saw this huge wall of orange," she said as she sat outside the warehouse Thursday afternoon, her jeans blackened with soot.

Structural damage from the fire, which took about eight hours to control, was estimated at $10 million, said Vallejo fire department spokesman Bill Tweedy. Losses to the contents of the building were unknown, although Polverino estimated it could be in the tens of millions.

Wine doesn't have a high enough alcohol content to burn, said Tweedy, but the bottles are packaged in cardboard boxes and wooden shelving that fed the flames.

Wines stored in the building ranged from huge chunks of smaller wineries' inventories to "library" collections of rare vintages. Even if bottles are intact, it's feared high temperatures will have spoiled the wine.

Agents with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau will eventually determine if the wine is ruined, Tweedy said.

The fire is being regarded as suspicious partly because the building appeared to be fire-resistant, a dense, concrete structure once used to repair submarines.

About 70 wineries leased space in the building, which also stored sugar and other food products.

A team from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives planned to begin investigating Saturday. That effort was expected to last until early next week, after which people would be allowed in to inspect property damage, Tweedy said.

While she waited, Johnson was busy with this year's harvest, in full swing right now.

"If it turns out that I've lost my 2003 vintage and part of my 2002 so be it," she said in a message to friends and customers. "There are some really lovely 2004 wines ready and waiting to be sprung from their barrels in the cave."

Calls and e-mails of support and sympathy were pouring in and Johnson was hopeful.

"You just have to keep the perspective," she said, "and you have to keep going."

[NormsRevenge]

That particular building used to house parts of nuclear weapons back when it was a Naval sub facility.

[Tadhg]

The first vineyard in california was at the Mission San Diego in 1769, but they never sold the wine...so I guess it wasn't "commercial"

[Clemenza]

I've talked with someone over at Seghesio who told me that Sonoma still had alot of the old Italian families running things, while they looked at Napa as being run by nouveau riche playboys. I had forgotten, btw, that this warehouse only had wines from Napa. I heard that Stag's Leap (Napa) and Martini (Napa and Sonoma) didn't keep any wine here, so I was relieved.

I think Robert Mondavi was a smart man, btw, who loved hanging around with the beautiful people too much.

As a wine lover, I have visited Mosel, Rhone, Eastern Washington, Okanagen Valley (Canada), and Wilametter Valley (Oregon). I have yet to make it to Napa and Sonoma. The only Cali vineyards I have visited were in Monterey County when I was ten.

[NormsRevenge]

Blaze engulfs wine warehouse on Mare Island (Update in #15) ^

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1501604/posts

Post#15

In Mare Island's heyday during World War II, Building 627 was the most secure facility at the former shipyard because it housed secret military plans, Vallejo historian Lou Burgelin said.

In 1945, parts of the atom bomb were stored inside the building before they were shipped by the U.S.S. Indianapolis into the Pacific Theater and moved onto the B-29 "Enola Gay" for the Hiroshima bombing, he said.

[Michael.SF.]

Wine that has been heated is junk,

Wine that has been heated is also Madera

Which is not junk. But as to this trasgedy, your 100% right, it is now junk

[BenLurkin]

Lightning?

[Experiment 6-2-6]

Wine that has been heated is junk..

I disagree. In certain circumstances, it ages the wine remarkably well. Assuming they are reds. Which, it appears they are.

[Clemenza]

You are correct. Let's not forget that Father Serra planted "Mission Grapes" (similar to Carignano grapes from Sardinia) at every mission he founded. Since they were all produced for Mass, they were not sold commercially. The first commercial vineyards were, therefore, in LA County.

[NormsRevenge]

Investigators from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau gather outside a burned wine warehouse in Vallejo, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 13, 2005. California wine country was reeling after a huge warehouse fire wiped out millions worth of rare vintages. The losses weren't expected to put in a dent in the $45 billion industry, but for some individuals it spelled potential disaster. The fire broke out Wednesday afternoon in the warehouse, which is on the old Navy shipyard of Mare Island in Vallejo, just south of the Napa Valley and about 30 miles northeast of San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

[TheOracleAtLilac]

Found this w/ a google

A taste of early California winemaking.
San Diego North is home to California's first vineyards (Vitis Vinifera). Acres of beautiful and picturesque vineyards showcase up-and-coming and award-winning wines, not to mention preserve the centuries-old history of winemaking in Southern California. You can explore the fascinating tradition of winemaking at Orfila Vineyards and Bernardo Winery, one of the oldest continuously operating wineries in Southern California. Tasting rooms are open daily and feature red and white dinner wines, dessert wines and light fruit wines, as well as gourmet goodies and gifts. Interview opportunities: Leon Santoro, general manager and winemaker, Orfila Vineyards, 760-738-6500; and Steve Vallee, Bernardo Winery, 858-487-1866

[BurbankKarl]

The SFPost article says ARSON, ARSON, and ARSON. The fire alarm was ignored when it went off, the workers resetting it, and then it went off again.

If the wine is determined as ruined, the ATF will make sure the bottles are destroyed, so the wine doesnt get to the market...and the producers can get their federal alcohol taxes back.

[pageonetoo]

I doubt the fire will have much effect on wine prices. There's a bit too much inventory all around.

Indeed. Most restaurants now purchase "box" wines, to serve by the glass. Customers don't seem to care, for they continue to use them... 5 Liters for the psame rice as a bottle, of some of the name brand wines.

I drink red wine daily, and buy both. I am not a conisewer..

[Clemenza]

The vineyards planted in San Diego were still used for sacramental wines when the first commercial wineries were started in the San Gabriel Valley.

There are a few wineries in San Diego County around, as well as about 20 in the Temecula area (Riverside County).

[A CA Guy]

Prices will go up as supply shrinks for a while.

[Michael.SF.]

How do California Freepers view their wine industry?

I live 15 miles from Napa and enjoy the wine country frequently and have since I honeymooned there in 1975.

Napa - Excellent wines & restaurants, but too crowded from June to August and most all weekends. Favorite wineries: Stony Hill, Pine Ridge, Vine Cliff, ZD, van der Heiden. Most overated: Mondavi.

Sonoma - Far more laid back and relaxing, less crowded. favorite wineries : Viansa, Gundlach Budschu (more for their 'tude, then their wine), Cohn.

Alexander valley - Now becoming the trendy place to be... too bad. Healdsburg was a great little town and is still nice, but not as it was a few short years ago.

[TheOracleAtLilac]

FWIW, I grew up in Pasadena & remember the 3+/- hr. drive to Riverside....past countless vinyards (& a slew of old car museums - all featuring A. Hitler's car) back in the 50's.

[Tadhg]

I wonder how the Mission Grape compared to an 1980 Petrus ? Wasn't the first commercial winery in the US somewhere in the midwest...using the origonal Norton grape ?

[NormsRevenge]

The SFPost article says ARSON, ARSON, and ARSON. The fire alarm was ignored when it went off, the workers resetting it, and then it went off again.


Can you pop the link in here for that article or let me know if SFPost is a socal or bay area paper.? Thanks.

[Publius]

I have yet to make it to Napa and Sonoma.

I "did" Napa and Sonoma in 1974. While my memories of the trip are somewhat clouded, I can vaguely recall that I had a good time.

That large heavy wooden door at Berringer's almost did me in.

[Michael.SF.]

I disagree. In certain circumstances, it ages the wine remarkably well.

The article I read (in the Contra Costa Times) the three foot thick cement walls acted as oven refractory, heating up to temperatures so high that the firemen could not enter, for several hours.

Those are not the circumstances for aging fine wine rapidly.

But you may try to prove me wrong, if you wish:

Take a case of Opus, 2002, preheat your oven to 450 F. Place the wine in there for, say four to five hours. Allow to cool to room temperature, taste and let me know the results.

;)