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I've always wondered: How do California Freepers view their wine industry?

I live in Napa. Make and sell wine. My partner just moved his 2002 and 2003 inventory to this supposedly "fire-proof" facility just two months ago. I preferred to pay a bit more to have my wines closer. Whew!

Everyone up here is wondering how in the hell a solid concrete structure could go up in flames. The managers advertised this place as having a "State-of-the-art" fire detection system. I'm guessing it's arson. Someone short of cash insures his inventory for "retail" value then torches the place.

The industry side is kinda fun. Napa culture is totally centered on food and drink but that's reasonably healthy. Napa's a nice place to live and work. People are friendly and there's surprisingly little of the snobbery you might expect. Industry people are mostly blue collar.

That can't be said for some of the nouveau riche arrivistes who are a rather liberal bunch. Even so, it's a tolerant, prosperous place good for raising a family.

By the way, Alexander Valley is in Sonoma County. I doubt the fire will have much effect on wine prices. There's a bit too much inventory all around.

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.

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..

"Everyone up here is wondering how in the hell a solid concrete structure could go up in flames. The managers advertised this place as having a "State-of-the-art" fire detection system."

That could not have been a gasoline and rags arson, IMO.

Maybe employees were cooking crack or meth in the back?

Employees don't reset the alarm unless they either KNOW there isn't a fire or they were covering up some chemical operation and they thought they had it under control.

Nobody is going to risk losing their place of employment unless they're covering up something they don't want the bosses, and the police, to know about.