San Francisco Chronicle: A running list of Napa Valley wineries that have been damaged or destroyed

The Glass Fire erupted on September 27 and has moved rapidly across northern Napa Valley, burning structures at some of the region’s most celebrated wineries. The Chronicle’s wine critic Esther Mobley is on the ground and talking to locals this week to track how vineyards and wineries have fared. Already, destruction to the local wine industry far exceeds that of the 2017 fires, when six wineries saw structures damaged or destroyed.

Here’s a list of the 25 wine or vineyard properties that have been confirmed to have sustained damage so far. We’ll be updating the list as we learn more. There are also wineries rumored to be destroyed but are OK, including Chardonnay favorite Rombauer Vineyards. See which ones survived here.

Barnett Family Vineyards: The tasting deck and equipment sheds at this Spring Mountain property burned, but the family residence and winery are intact, said winemaker David Tate.

Behrens Family Winery: This boutique winery on Spring Mountain lost two buildings, including its main winery that burned to the ground. Others, like the tasting room, are OK.

Burgess Cellars: The barrel warehouse and the original winery built in the 1880s on Howell Mountain have both burned, confirmed CEO Carlton McCoy. The tasting room and house remain intact.

Cain Vineyard and Winery: The main winery, containing the 2019 and 2020 vintages of Cain’s wine, burned, as did the oldest structure on the property, a barn from 1871.

Castello di Amorosa: A farmhouse at this favorite tourist destination was lost. It contained all of the company’s wine inventory, said vice president Jim Sullivan, though the castle itself — an ambitious construction modeled on a medieval castle — survived.

Chateau Boswell: The main building, built from hand-quarried stone, was destroyed late Sunday night. Only the stone facade remains; a collection of wines dating back to 1979 was destroyed.

Cornell Vineyards: This Sonoma County estate, just over the Napa County line on Spring Mountain, does not have a wine production facility onsite, but it lost three houses on its property. A fourth building, used for tastings, survived.

Dutch Henry Winery: This winery on the Silverado Trail burned, winemaker Scott Chafen confirmed.

Fairwinds Estate Winery: This winery on the Silverado Trail has burned.

Fantesca Estate: The Spring Mountain winery lost equipment and its outdoor tasting deck, but the winery itself is fine.

Flying Lady Winery: The winery building, which had been recently renovated, was destroyed, along with the 2016 and 2017 vintages of bottled wine, said owner David Nassar.

Hourglass Winery: The winery facility and a 162-year-old guest house were demolished, owner Jeff Smith said. An underground cave containing barrels of aging wine likely survived.

Hunnicutt Wines: A house on the property used for offices and the winery’s crushpad, which includes much of its winemaking equipment, were devastated, though the winery building itself is OK, said owner Justin Stephens.

Juslyn Vineyards: Landscaping, outbuildings and about half of the grapevines at this Spring Mountain property are gone, according to a winery statement, though two houses survived.

Merus Winery: The winery itself was damaged but remains intact, said Gerard Thoukis, chief marketing officer of parent company Foley Family Wines. A residence and outbuilding on the property burned completely.

Newton Vineyard: This winery, owned by luxury conglomerate Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, was nearly entirely destroyed by the Glass Fire, confirmed general manager Jean-Baptiste Rivail.

Phifer Pavitt Winery: Owner Suzanne Phifer Pavitt’s home mostly burned, and the winery was damaged, though the wine aging in barrels appears to be fine, she said.

Ritchie Creek Vineyard: The Spring Mountain winery and the home of owners Andre and Tina Minor burned, including much of the wine inventory from past vintages.

Sarocka Estate: The main home and a guest home are safe, but all other structures on the property burned, the winery said in a statement.

School House Vineyard: One of the two houses on this Spring Mountain property, which does not have an onsite winery, was destroyed, said manager Tim Mosher.

Sherwin Family Vineyards: This Spring Mountain winery, which Steve and Linda Sherwin started in 1996, has burned, according to an email from the company.

Spring Mountain Vineyard: The vineyard manager’s home on the property was destroyed, and the vineyard itself experienced serious damage, confirms vice president of sales and marketing Dermot Whelan. Two other buildings, including an 1873 La Perla winery, were also lost. But the main winery and the historic Miravelle Mansion — in part known for its appearance on ‘80s drama “Falcon Crest” — were spared.

Sterling Vineyards: The main winery appeared safe, but Chronicle photographs show that equipment on the outdoor crushpad was charred, and another building may have sustained some damage.

Terra Valentine Winery: A house on this Spring Mountain estate burned, according to a winery statement.

Tofanelli Vineyards: A 120-year-old barn and a family home, which was not currently occupied by residents, burned.

York Creek Vineyard: This Spring Mountain property owned by longtime Anchor Brewing proprietor Fritz Maytag lost two houses, a barn and all equipment, but most other buildings survived, according to a statement.

Read the full article HERE. 

Published on Thursday, October 8, 2020