Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/402796
1 4 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | N o v - D e c 2 014 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m Still, the situation could have been much worse. The fact that the earthquake occurred at 3:20 a.m. meant that most people in the region were safe in bed rather than working near the 600-pound wine- filled barrels and mammoth tanks that gave way. Also remarkable was the way in which the community respond- ed to the challenge of recov- ery. Days after the earthquake, the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) donated $10 million to create a fund to assist local families and businesses. "Hundreds of homes and businesses in the local com- munity were damaged by this disaster," said Russ Weis, chairman of the NVV Board of Directors and general manager of Silverado Vineyards. "Those in the heart of the city of Napa, as well as south of the city – including American Canyon and surrounding neighborhoods – were especially impacted. The Napa Valley Vintners' Commu- nity Disaster Relief Fund will provide resources and assis- tance to support the commu- nity as it rebuilds." In California, earthquake insurance is expensive, isn't f e d e r a l l y s u b s i d i z e d a n d i n c l u d e s h i g h d e d u c t i b l e s ; therefore, most people don't buy it. Serious structural damage can mean daunting expenses for home- owners with little equity. "Funds will provide residents with short-term assistance cover- ing temporary housing, food, health care and counseling," Weis said. "Contributions also will cover home repairs for immediate safety con- cerns, including replacement win- dows, debris removal and toppled chimneys." On Aug. 24, shortly after the temblor hit, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency. On Sept. 2, he petitioned the fed- eral government to declare affected counties part of a federal disaster, and the following day, the Napa C o u n t y B o a r d o f S u p e r v i s o r s requested $362 million in federal disaster aid to cover damages to buildings and infrastructure, as well as revenue losses due to business closures and lost inventory. Presi- dent Obama issued a disaster dec- laration for the state of California on Sept. 11, releasing several federal aid measures and a few key federal tax-relief provisions to help busi- ness owners recover. However, some of the people hardest-hit by the disaster were winery employees, many of them residents of the city of Napa, where violent shaking caused major dam- age to homes. Winery workers faced major clean-ups, property losses and home structural dam- age, just as they were entering the stressful harvest season. Despite suffering damage to their own facilities, wineries such as The Hess Collection stepped up to support affected employees. "A pair of 10,000-gallon tanks filled with cabernet burst and sent 15,000 cases of 2013 cabernet into the garden in the front of our visitor center," said Jim Caudill, spokesperson for the Mount Veeder winery. "In the warehouse, about 1,500 barrels tumbled, along with cased goods. Later, we would discover damage to rock walls and other structural issues." Facing "millions" in repair costs, The Hess Collection cre- ated a fund to help employees replace and repair necessary resources such as hot water heaters and structures. "I feel so fortunate and grateful to work for a com- pany that would extend its hand to help us when the win- ery is dealing with so much devastation," said Hess wine club manager Tamara Kolbert, whose home suffered serious damage. "We have all pulled together to help each other dur- ing this trying time." For updates on Napa's earth- quake recovery efforts, or to donate to the relief effort, visit napavint- ners.com/earthquake. Fermentation tanks crumpled at The Hess Collection.