The Carneros Wine Alliance Announces Area Wineries Are Open for Business this Labor Day Weekend, and Eager to Spread #CarnerosLove
Carneros, Napa and Sonoma, CA (PRWEB) August 28, 2014 -- The Carneros Wine Alliance, a non-profit association of wineries and grape-growers in the Carneros American Viticultural Area (AVA), today announced that the region is open for business as usual, despite the 6.0 earthquake that shook southern Napa early Sunday morning. The USGS has installed additional monitoring equipment in the area to help track seismic activity in the next few weeks and to help in preventing future earthquake damage. Carneros’ wineries and tasting rooms are virtually back to normal, however, poised for harvest and to welcome visitors for Labor Day weekend.
“We are humbled and deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support from friends and colleagues,” said Carla Bosco of Bouchaine Winery, whose ravaged barrel room was pictured in many news reports. “We’re very happy to report we’ve weathered the storm and are back in business.” Bouchaine lost about 2000 gallons of barreled wine in the earthquake, but their entire inventory of bottled wines (which includes most of the 2013 vintage) was unscathed. After a brief closure the day of the quake to clean up, Bouchaine reopened on Monday for business as usual.
Saintsbury, Cuvaison, Etude, Domaine Carneros, The Donum Estate, Poseidon Vineyard, Schug Winery, and many other Carneros wineries report similarly minor losses and a quick rebound to normalcy despite their proximity to the earthquake epicenter. USGS reported the official epicenter of Sunday’s quake as being in the heart of Carneros, next to the Napa marina and the Poseidon Vineyard – a vineyard named for the Greek god of water and earthquakes. In ancient mythology Poseidon was frequently referred to as the “Earth-Shaker,” and fittingly, the vineyard named for him is less than a mile from the USGS epicenter coordinates. The Poseidon Vineyard suffered several ten- to fifteen-foot cracks in the soil but otherwise is undamaged, according to Arpad Molnar whose family owns Poseidon Vineyard.
The Carneros Wine Alliance has launched a hashtag, #CarnerosLove, to show support and celebrate this resilient region at the center of the quake. TJ Evans, Chair of the Alliance and winemaker for Domaine Carneros, says: “Our sparkling harvest is already over, and our facilities were – very luckily – not affected by the earthquake. If any of our winery neighbors are in a tight spot and need to press their white grapes while they’re still remedying earthquake damage, we would be happy to help them out. Our presses are open and our thoughts are with all of our Carneros friends right now.”
Many non-profits and disaster relief organizations have set up funds to help cover the cost of cleaning up and restoring the damage, which was significant for many homes and businesses in the quake zone. The Napa Valley Vintners founded the Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund, offering financial and logistical resources to impacted individuals and businesses. Visit the Fund’s website for more information or to make a donation: http://napavintners.com/earthquake/donate.asp. The City of Napa has partnered with the local Volunteer Center to help organize and deploy individual volunteers who want to lend a hand to cleanup and relief efforts; details are available on the city’s website, here. The Red Cross is also accepting donations online at RedCross.org or via text message; texting “Red Cross” to 90999 will make a $10 donation.
Carneros is located at the crossroads of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. A cool-climate appellation influenced by the waters of the San Francisco Bay, Carneros has long been known for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wine production. The first California wine region to be defined by its climate characteristics rather than political boundaries, vineyards were first planted in this area as early as the 1830‘s, with the first winery established here in the early 1870’s. Carneros achieved official AVA status in 1983 and is renowned for its Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wine production. The Carneros Wine Alliance was founded two years after the initial AVA was formed, and will celebrate their 30th anniversary in 2015.
ABOUT THE CARNEROS WINE ALLIANCE:
The Carneros Wine Alliance is a non-profit association of wineries and grape-growers in the Carneros American Viticultural Area (AVA). Carneros is located at the crossroads of two major wine regions, the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. A cool-climate appellation influenced by the waters of the San Francisco Bay, Carneros has long been known for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wine production. The Carneros Wine Alliance is committed to promoting the distinction, diversity and above all, quality, of grapes and wines from Carneros. Visit Carneros.com // @CarnerosWine - Facebook, Twitter, Flickr.
Ashley Teplin, Teplin+Nuss, http://www.teplinnuss.com, 707.812.1919 Ext: 101, [email protected]
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