Bottle shock. Crushed. Shaken, not stirred. Whatever word you choose to describe it, the 6.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked Napa Valley early Sunday morning has left behind more than spilled wine. More than 100 homes and buildings red-tagged. The facade of the beautiful Vintner’s Collective building gone. Homes shaken off foundations, cracks in walls, chimneys toppled. Countless glasses, plates and other personal possessions shattered. Gallons and gallons of wine lost. All this happening as harvest is underway. Winemakers who lost tanks and barrels are scrambling to find ones they can borrow or rent so they can press, ferment and store the new wines coming in as we speak. Some producers lost freshly made wines from the current vintage, but they also lost library wines — collections of wine going back years, if not decades. Wineries also lost wine in barrel that hadn’t made it to bottle yet, as barrels…
Come to Napa Valley, but not for the Wine
Several times a year I’m asked by friends and family for recommendations on where to go when they visit Napa Valley. In addition to wineries I think they’ll like, I also include ones with interesting architecture and must see art galleries. That list usually includes The Hess Collection for its impressive display of contemporary art, Mumm Napa for the Ansel Adams photo gallery and Ma(i)sonry for the eclectic mix of art, decorative home items and lineup of Blackbird wines and more.
It’s nice to have options that don’t always include wine. You can only sample so much wine in a day, and it’s good to have a break. If you don’t drink wine at all, you may feel left out. Fortunately there’s more art in Napa Valley than even I knew was on view. Read more