Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/402796
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m N o v - D e c 2 014 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 1 3 Reporters heard two resounding sentiments in the weeks following the sobering 6.0 mag- nitude earthquake that hit Napa County in the early hours of Aug. 24. While the national news media painted a picture of widespread disaster, locals pointed out that the situation could have been a lot worse. And instead of helplessly wait- ing for government aid to arrive, the community swiftly rose to the challenge of recovery. The county suffered an estimated $400 mil- lion in damages, and many businesses were severely impacted by the earthquake, particu- larly those centered in and near the city of Napa. However, in preparation for the influx of new grapes, many wines had been bottled before the quake struck; therefore, many barrels and tanks were empty at the time of the temblor, minimiz- ing wine losses. The majority of the wine lost was from the 2012 and 2013 vintages, California's two largest- ever harvests. While some individual wineries will experience shortages because of the earth- quake, it is not expected to have a significant impact on Napa Valley's overall wine inventory. Recovery has been a delicate and ongoing process. "It's going to take folks weeks and months to dig out and see what the real dam- age is," said Rebecca Hopkins of Michael Mon- davi Wine Estates, two weeks after the quake. "They move one barrel and a bung falls out, and out comes the wine." Hundreds of barrels were damaged at the winery's former production facil- ity in Carneros, sold to Kieu Hoang Winery Napa Valley in June. Napa Rebuilds Following Earthquake Napa's 6.0 earthquake sends barrels and cased goods toppling in The Hess Collection's warehouse. NEWS FLASH Governor Brown Signs Groundwater Bill California's governor signed historic legislation on Sept. 16 to strengthen local management and monitoring of groundwater basins most critical to the California's water needs. The three bills signed by Governor Brown – AB 1739, 1168 and 1319 – create a framework for groundwater management and allow local agencies to tailor sustain- able groundwater plans to their regional economic and environmen- tal needs. China's Wine Consumption Drops China's imported wine volume had been on a meteoric rise, increas- ing 28% in 2011 and 8% in 2012, before dropping by 4% in 2013, according to Impact Databank. Sales and volume are down again this year, apparently the result of the Chinese government's new policy against intra-governmental entertaining and high-end gift giv- ing. Domestic wines saw the biggest volume decline last year, while imports fell by 2 million cases. A Wine Incubator Comes to Texas Texas wine entrepreneur Mike McHenry, a managing partner of Wed- ding Oak Winery in San Saba, plans to open an incubator for incipi- ent Texas wineries in the fall of 2015. From label designer contacts to grape sourcing to a winery facility, the incubator plans to offer a range of services to startup wineries. It will even offer retail space for clients to market their wines. WSU Expands Teaching Vineyard Washington State University in Pullman, Wash., has expanded its teaching vineyard, planting some 800 syrah vines and installing new irrigation systems at the campus vineyard, which now spans 1.5 acres. The expansion will provide students with the opportunity to explore the different ways vines are trained around the world. The Washington Wine Industry Foundation funded the new vineyard block. For more industry news briefs, visit the News Flash page on V&WM's website: http://www.vwmmedia.com/magazine/web-exclusive1.asp. " 1- BY TIM TEICHGRAEBER