For more than a month, wildfires have engulfed large areas of the West Coast. According to the New York Times, Oregon, California, and Washington, combined, have experienced more than 5 million acres burned by the largest fires ever recorded.
Early Sunday morning, fires in Napa County — known as the Glass Fire — began sweeping through Napa Valley, causing immense damage to the region’s famous wineries. As of Tuesday, the fires have stretched along the Silverado Trail and have turned west into Santa Rosa in neighboring Sonoma County.
CBS local news reported Tuesday morning that the fires have amassed to 36,236 acres with zero containment. Reports have emerged that many of the wineries in the affected regions have suffered devastating damage or destruction since the onset of fires on Sunday.
A list released by The San Francisco Chronicle outlines wineries and vineyards impacted by the fires, it includes eight properties as of publishing. The list is being updated as new information is available.
Chateau Boswell’s main building burned on Sunday night, destroying a wine collection that included bottles dating back to 1979. Hourglass Winery owner Jeff Smith confirmed that the facility and a 162-year-old guest house were destroyed, while Fairwinds Estate Winery “appears to be leveled” according to the Chronicle.
Newton Vineyard, which is owned by LVMH, confirmed it has been “significantly impacted” by the fire. Hunnicutt Wines and Sterling Vineyards appear to both have suffered damages to their crush pads and winemaking equipment, according to the list.
Castello di Amorosa, the famous winery in Calistoga known for its Tuscan-style castle built to honor owner Dario Sattui’s Italian ancestry, lost a 145,000-square-foot farmhouse. The building housed offices and wine storage, and was used as a bottling line and fermentation site. Firefighters were able to save its underground cellars, but the winery lost 2,500 bottles of wine.
Nearby, Tofanelli Family Vineyard lost a 120-year-old barn and a family home; no one was inside the home when it burned, thankfully. Owner Vince Tofanelli told the Press Democrat, “I’m numb. It’s very frustrating.”
The iconic Meadowood Resort in St. Helena was also devastated by the wildfires. The winery’s three Michelin Star restaurant — The Restaurant at Meadowood (TRAM) — and its golf clubhouse burned to the ground on Monday, other buildings were also scorched.
“We are all torn apart. A Eulogy is deserved, and will be given in due time,” head chef Christopher Kostow wrote on Instagram. “[F]or now, I want to thank all of the TRAMily that have ever graced this magical space—and all of the guests over the years who have enjoyed the efforts of these multitudes.”
As reports of damage to Napa and Sonoma county wineries continue to come out, Ehren Jordan, owner of Failla Wines, dispelled claims via Instagram that Failla was burned in the fires.
“As many of you are aware, reports were beginning to circulate on social media and even mainstream media (shame on you San Jose Mercury News) that our winery had burned,” Jordan wrote. “These reports are very much inaccurate.” The winemaker commended the efforts of firefighters and said he is “sobered by the destruction” surrounding him.
The record breaking fires throughout Napa and Sonoma counties continue to be entirely uncontained, as of publishing. Smoke and flames in the region could have grave effects on the vineyards’ harvests. Vinters had already anticipated the season to be cut short following wildfires in August.
