David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

This is a $30 retail Chardonnay that just hit K&L this week at $14.99. To quote Ralph their Senior Buyer who buys their Bordeaux wines, “The best screaming deal in richly styled California Chardonnay I've tasted in my 40 years here. When I tasted this here at my desk with our buyer Ryan Woodhouse, I said to myself, wow this is very good, expensive Chardonnay.”

The nose shows big, round richness. Lots of green & golden apple, Meyer lemon, ripe pineapple, lime zest, some stone fruit, caramel, vanillin, butter, cream, white spice, volcanic minerals, good presence of nice chalkiness, hint of herbs with yellow flowers/lilies.

The palate is, round, rich and phat. It’s beautiful over the palate. Loads of green & golden apple, Meyer lemon, ripe pineapple, lime zest, some stone fruit with apricots dominating, slight notes of honey, caramel, vanillin, butter, cream, white spice with some palate heat, grainy volcanic minerals, good presence of; beautiful, moist, powdery chalkiness, hint of herbs with yellow flowers/lilies. The acidity is round and voluptuous. The long, rich finish is; elegant, well balanced, hedonistic and persists minutes.

Nice to see a newer release California wine at 13.4% ABV.

Drinks nicely even beyond its full retail price!

A little background on their Winemaker, Dan Fitzgerald. Dan cut his teeth as Brack Mountain’s founding Winemaker. Prior to that, he worked with Winemaker Bob Cabral at Williams Selyem Winery in the Russian River Valley, rounding out his trifecta of Pinot noir and Chardonnay winemaking. Also, had experience at James Halliday’s Coldstream Hills Winery in Australia’s Yarra Valley and Robert Sinskey Vineyards in Napa Valley.

The Sierra Mar Vineyard was planted by the Pisoni Family and sits adjacent to the famous Gary’s Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. It is owned by Gary and Rosella Franscioni. The vineyard has been in their family for three generations. “Mountain Sea” translates in Spanish to Sierra Mar. The vineyard sits just over 1000 feet and is one of the highest altitude vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands.

Photos of, the barrels this vineyard is fermented, WineMaker Dan Fitzgerald and their Sierra Mar Vineyard. — a year ago

with James and Christina

Bob Kolar

9.8

Crisp with a hint of peach and pear, excellent wine, highly recommended. — 4 years ago

M

8.9

20060302 Cru w25062w to w24462w
Drank 20170101
Pair with Vietnamese pork, butter lettuce, Spain 5j ham cubes, truffle cheese, black olive, beef ri.

Nose: from little to rich plum and licorice
Taste: from little to rich plum and licorice, dark plum, yummy. Licorice comes out in an hour and accompanies well.
Color: dark
Good after 1 hour, finally finish in 2 hours, good

The 2007 Zippy's Block Shiraz is a sound effort indeed and displays the characteristics of a premium Barossa Valley red. Two Hands Wines have created a single vineyard series, of which Zippy's Block Shiraz is a major player, and this particular vintage, although tough, still resulted in a top notch wine.
EXPERT REVIEWS

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 93 pts - The 2007 Shiraz Zippy's Block from Roennfeldt Road in the Marananga sub region of Barossa Valley, is a brooding, burly wine with a splendid nose of plum, tar, licorice, smoke, game, and blueberry. On the palate it is surprisingly restrained, bordering on elegant. Savory, ripe, and medium-long, it will be approachable in 1-2 years and drink well for a decade thereafter. - Dec 2009

James Halliday's Wine Companion - 92 pts - More life here, with some red fruit providing lift to the concentrated fruitcake and chocolate beneath; the oak and fruit work in tandem and provide a rich, but not overwhelming level of interest on the finish; chewy with some nerve to conclude. Date tasted 26 Feb 2009, drink by 2020.

Wine Spectator - 91 pts - This spicy red is distinctive for its star anise and cigar box overtones around a plump, chewy core of blackberry, plum and dried blueberry flavors, persisting through a solid frame of fine tannins. Best from 2011 through 2019. 750 cases made. -HS, Oct 2009 — 5 years ago

Tania Fabiani

9.1

Fantastic wine a note of cream and smooth ... with James, Adriana, Juliana first evening — 2 years ago

Chuck Corbett

9.7

This is one tasty stainless steel Chardonnay. Thanks to its time spent on yeast, its mouth feel is luscious! Produced by a local Healdsburg winemaker and friend--full disclosure--A perfect chilled wine for a warm evening... and this comment is from one who typically does not enjoy stainless steel Chardonnays. Cheers! — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

Price $250.

Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.

Strong nose of blueberries, cherries, cedar, vanilla, licorice, sweet plums, alcohol, vinaigrette, vegetables, earth, chocolates, mocha, coffee, Mediterranean spices and peppercorn.

Full-bodied and bold, with medium plus acidity and long long legs.

Dry on the palate and very fruity, with black cherries, raisins, dried figs, wood, spicy vanilla, licorice, cloves, leather, earth, coffee, tobacco leaf, vinegar, spices and peppercorn.

Long finish with firm tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a wonderful Grenache blend from Paso Robles. Still very young but already enjoyable now.

A little off balanced, but time will change that. Very complex and enjoyable by itself or with food.
Great mouth feel with a tangy finish.

Needs three hours to open up in a decanter. Drank for a Magnum.

Robert Parker 96 points.

A blend of 69% Grenache, 13% Mourvedre, 13% Syrah, 2% Counoise and 1% Roussanne.

15.5% alcohol by volume. — 3 years ago

Bob Kolar

9.1

Very nice, crisp with a very smooth taste. Recommend trying this one. — 4 years ago

Kevin DeBernardi

9.3

Bready, yeasty goodness. — 5 years ago

Justin McGuirk

9.2

Great recommendation from the folks at Kermit Lynch. — 5 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

10

This post is updated multiple times daily and date changes are noted throughout. It’s been a very difficult week plus in Napa/Sonoma. We lost some great wineries, at least 42 people lost their lives, 185 injured, around a 100 people are still unaccounted, nearly 7,000 homes and businesses destroyed (a majority of them in Santa Rosa) and 300 plus square miles consumed by flames. Entire neighborhoods in Santa Rosa have been completely burned to ashes. Hopes, prays & blessings to all affected. 🙏 Napa/Sonoma strong! 💪 Updating the overnight news, Signorello winery was sadly completely burned to the ground. Earlier reports said, they had lost the 2016 & 2017 vintage. I am happy to report that is not the case. I just watched a news report (10/11 @ 5p PST) with their Winemaker Pierre Birebent tasting from barrels. After tasting, he stated the wines are fine as are their vines. So happy for them they didn’t lose their wine or vines. William Hill winery reported early by the news outlets showing a video of their front entrance sign burning was accurate but the winery is thankfully intact. The winery is confirming they lost landscaping, but the winery is intact. Early reports on Stags’ Leap Winery stated the winery was lost. As of 10/12, I am happier to write, the main winery and tasting room in the Stag’s Leap District are intact, but some outer buildings on the property were lost. Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa, home to spectacular views and world class outdoor sculptured gardens, sadly has burned to the ground. Kunde Family Winery’s Jeff Kunde says, none of the Kenwood winery buildings have caught fire. Updating Chateau St. Jean on 10/12, the winery early on was believed to be destroyed. The good news is a drive by reported, the winery only has damage to some outbuildings and to the archway entries from the parking lot. The main structure appeared unharmed. The fire also appears to be very close to Benziger winery. Chimney Rock Winery news is unclear. Earlier reports said it was lost but updated reporting says the Winery may have survived but lost landscaping. The Poetry Inn on the Silverado Trail in Napa’s Stag’s Leap District, owned by vintner Cliff Lede, who also owns the nearby Cliff Lede Vineyards, has been surrounded by flames. Napa’s Aum Cellars, reported Monday night that his winery survived the fire. Also dodging a close call was Napa’s Fontanella Family Winery. Early reporting stated Darioush had burned during the Atlas fire, but according to the winery’s Alessandra Murillo said in email, the winery is safe; we experienced some landscape and vineyard damage but the winery structure is sound.” None of it is good news but happy to see some of the early reporting was inaccurate on some of the winery loses. Winds were down overnight and are so far today which; is helping. However, many of the fires burning are not contained or only slightly contained. It is speculated that high winds knocked down powers lines and started the fires due to very dry conditions. I’ll continue to up this post as news becomes available. [Updating the news this morning 10/11.] The news is not good as there are new fires in Calistoga & Solano that have popped up. The winds have shifted and they’ve experienced some unexpected wind gusts last night that caused fires to jump...one a distance of 3/4 of a mile. There are new evacuations on Atlas Peak and Geyserville. The bad news is that later this evening winds are going to pick up around 5p PST. Gusts are expected to be from 20-40 mph. One St. Helena winery owner emailed me this morning the following about the new fire in Calistoga. “We are scrabbling to move some stuff out. Also, the air is so thick of smoke. There is white ash everywhere and it is hard to take a breath.” There are also health concerns about the air quality in Oakland/SF and greater Bay Area. The winds have brought the smoke all the way down to the southern most part of the Bay Area as well. Wish there was better news for Wine Country. Keep them in your thoughts & prays. Sadly, this tragedy is far from over. The news agencies are saying If you are thinking of donating, they recommend donating $ to an established charity because they can buy better in bulk and they are working on the ground with victims everyday and know exactly what’s needed. Some people have brought prepared food to shelters; which they are not able to accept. Well intended people can also cause a secondary issue of having to take away unneeded items when all the focus should be on helping victims. Here are some links you can use to send help: https://www.gofundme.com/napa-sonoma-fires https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=redempire&id=64 https://uwwc.upicsolutions.org/ecommunity/comm/SinglePageRegPledge.jsp http://www.napavalleycf.org/fire-donation-page/ We donated and hope everyone on Delectable donates as much as their incomes or budget will allow. Even a lot of small donations make the biggest difference to a lot of people who have lost everything. Cheers! 🍷 [10/12 update.] The winds were lighter than expected during the night. However, there is concern that the six fires that are burning in Napa/Sonoma could merge and become one big fire. This would make things much worse. Containment on the six fires is only between 2-3%. Evacuations in Geyserville have expanded. Air quality is so bad in the East Bay many schools have closed. Air quality is a serve problem in Napa/Sonoma and considered a health concern throughout the greater Bay Area. It is not expected to improve for at least a week. 8,000 Firefighters are now battling fires in CA. More crews are being brought in from AZ, WA, Oregon & Nevada. A huge debt of gratitude to the sacrifices and hard work the people on the frontlines and the volunteers giving people aid at shelters etc. are making round the clock. 44,000 acres have now burned on Atlas Peak, nearly double since reporting first started. Winds this morning on Atlas Peak are at 20 mph. Winds are 8 mph in Santa Rosa. There are also new mandatory evacuations in eastern Sonoma county. Some good news, 300 people who were reported missing have been located. Calistoga & Boyes Hot Springs are now under complete mandatory evacuation. Authorities in the strongest terms are saying, “Stay out of these areas!” “They will remain closed for several days.” I read a quote from Thomas Smith (30 year Yosemite Ranger) who said, “My Ranger instincts tell only rain will get a handle on these fires.” However, there is none in forecast for at least a week. Pray, do a rain dance or anything you believe will help bring some rain to CA. Updating winery damage and loss. Helena View Johnston Vineyards sadly has burned to the ground. 😥 Robert Sinskey Vineyards thought to have had serve damage was spared with only vegetation damage. 😔 Another sad loss, VinRoc on Atlas Peak Road, Proprietor and Winemaker Michael Parmenter had to evacuate late Sunday night and confirmed Tuesday that his Atlas Peak district winery and home were destroyed. “Total loss, everything gone except our wine cave,” he said. 😥 More bad news...White Rock Vineyards, on Loma Vista Dr. in Napa, owned by the Vandendriessche family since 1870, the winery confirmed it was destroyed by the fire that ravaged nearby Soda Canyon Road. 😥 Gundlach Bundschu Winery in Sonoma, had earlier reports of significant fire damage, the winery buildings are structurally sound, said Katie Bundschu. However, the property was on the fire line so Bundschu said the family is still assessing crop damage. 😔 Nicholson Ranch, on Napa Road in Sonoma has posted on the Facebook winery page clarified that damage was not significant. “The winery was in the path of the fire but escaped being engulfed by the flames. We have some damage to fix.” 😔 More sad Winery news reports, Frey Vineyards, In Redwood Valley, the country’s first organic and biodynamic winery was lost in the Redwood Fire and all wine orders have been suspended temporarily until the family can fully assess the loss. 😥 Another winery loss in Redwood Valley, Oster Wine Cellars, Ken and Teresa Fetzer’s winery, which specializes in limited-production Cabernet Sauvignon, was destroyed in the Redwood Fire.😢 This one is painful to post. Backbone Vineyard & Winery in Redwood Valley has been destroyed. "Our winery burned to the ground along with all our wine made over the past five years," said owner Sattie Clark in a statement. 😥 Patland Vineyards was also consumed by the fires on Atlas. Winemaker Jay Buoncristiani confirmed the news. "The Patlands’ estate, perched at 1,500 feet above Soda Canyon Road, was wiped on Sunday night," 😥 Stagecoach Vineyard news is uncertain as no one can get close enough to assess the damage but one would imagine it is not good. We’ll see once they can get back into the area. 😐 We’ll hope for the best! James Cole reported today (10/12) that while all their people are ok, their property is badly damaged. They have power and working on their 17 vintage. Feel bad for James & Colleen. 😥 Continuum is safe now, but report tonight (10/12), “We are still in the fire's path. We are taking all necessary precautions and remain optimistic that the tireless efforts of Cal Fire will result in their having the upper hand soon enough. Let’s hope they do. 😐 The news out of Napa/Sonoma is still surreal but sadly becoming more clear each day. Kathryn Hall of Hall wines is doing a dollar for dollar matching fund raising through Redwood Credit Union as they do not charge fees. You can donate at hallwines.com/donate or waltwines.com/donate She also said, “their wineries in Napa and Sonoma are both fine but cannot assess vineyard damage as they cannot access them.” She stated further that, “We have major concerns about our vineyards on Atlas Peak and Mount Veeder.” They believe their vineyards there are totally gone. [Updating 10/13]. With all the firefighters/equipment pouring into N. California & overnight favorable conditions, they’ve been able to more effectively fire the fires. The Tubbs Fire in Calistoga is now 25% contained but has consumed 35,000 acres. It is spreading north & east of Calistoga. The Nuns Fire has consumed 44,000 acres & is 5% contained. The fires have burned 300 square miles or an area six times the size of San Francisco. The creator of the Peanuts characters Charles Schulz home was lost. His widow survived but lots of Peanuts memorable were lost. However, most of the key memorabilia is at the Charles Schulz museum; which is still safe at this point. The Atlas Fire is now 27% contained as of this morning. Despite some improving news fires continue to spread. There are new voluntary evacuations in Napa County for people that live west of Hwy 29. People who live between the Oakville Grade and Rutherford Road are being readied for evacuation at a monuments notice in case the Nuns fire spreads closer. Currently it has burned 17,000 acres and is 3% contained. There are several more wineries located east of Hwy 29 that raise concerns. They are; Cakebread, Opus One, Silver Oak. Silver Oak announced today , “We have sustained minimal damage to our Soda Canyon Ranch Vineyard in the Napa Valley, but no vines were lost.” They also noted they harvested all their fruit prior to the fires. Another winery they are watching closely is Robert Mondavi. 😳 Winds are expected to pick up tonight into tomorrow night. Another fire near Hwy 29 in Yountville continues to grow. The areas of concern are Mount Veeder & Dry Creek. People in this area also are being readied to evacuate at a moments notice as well. Many evacuation centers say they are overwhelmed with donations and have run out of space to storage items. If you are thinking of donating, financial support to known charities is best. I’ve listed four links up above in this post. Power is returning but 34,000 homes are still without power. 24,500 of those are in Santa Rosa where the worst destruction has taken place. There is a focus on the Atlas fire south so it doesn’t spread into Solano County near Green Valley & Fairfield. Also, the Silverado Canyon area. However, focus can change by need. How the winds shift or increase is the biggest factor. Up in Mendocino north of Hwy 20, the Redwood Complex Fire has burned 34,000 acres and is 10% contained. 8,000 people have been evacuated. Changing wind patterns are a big concern here and are expected to be stronger tonight and over the next 24 hours. In Lake County the Sulfur Fire has burned 2,500 acres in the area of Clear Lake Oaks and is 55% contained. 3,000 evacuees has been allowed to return. 🙂 🚒 Huge thanks to the nearly 10,000 exhausted Firefighters and first responders working nearly round the clock shifts. The Int’l Association of Firefighters has set up a fund for Firefighters who have lost their homes. If you would like to donate to these brave people, here is the link to donate, http://www.gofundahero.com/campaign/detail/4913 🚒 Cal Fire as of 6a this morning have merged the Nuns Fire, Adobe Fire & Norbom into one large fire. Bay Area air quality is still bad. The Bay Area Air Quality Management; which sets a normal air quality number at 35 says that number is now above 250 and has been nearly that high for five days in a row. Some college football and NFL games in the area this weekend are closely monitoring air quality. They are considering alternatives of where to play games or when. If the air quality is this bad in the Bay Area, imagine what the unhealthy number must be in Wine Country. More wineries are being reported today as destroyed or severely damaged. They are; Paras Vineyard on Mt. Veeder Road in Napa is believed lost after an Agence France-Press photo showed the main building on the family farm engulfed in flames and fire burning in the vineyard. 😥 Roy Estate and Patland Estate Vineyards were caught in one of the worst fire zones, on Soda Canyon Road in Napa. 😥 The Estate Vineyard for Mark Pulido and Donna Walker was destroyed, along with their residence on Mt. Veeder, according to Christi Wilson, executive director of The Rancho Santa Fe Foundation. The Napa vineyard was one of three operated by Pulido-Walker. 😥 Photos show Sill Family Vineyards leveled by the fire, and owner Igor Sill told the Napa Valley Register by email, “We will rebuild as soon as we’re allowed to return.” 😥 Such tragic losses. I hope this ends sooner that later. Hopefully, the higher winds predicted over the weekend are less than predicted. If not, this sadly will not be the end of the losses. All our hopes & prays!!! [Updating 10/14]. TheTubbs Fire has consumed 35,270 acres and is now 44% contained. It started in Napa County near Calistoga but continued to burn in Sonoma County doing most of the damage in Santa Rosa. The Atlas Fire has now consumed 50,383 acres and 45% contained. It started in Napa and Solano counties off Atlas Peak Road, forcing new evacuations in Green Valley. The Nuns, Adobe, Norbbom fires have consumed 46,00 acres and 5% contained. It started in Sonoma County. Partrick Fire has consumed 12,400 acres and 18% contained. It started in Napa County west of Napa. The Pocket Fire has consumed 11,000 acres and is 5% contained. Started in Sonoma County off Pocket Ranch Road near Geyserville. The Partrick Fire has consumed 12,400 acres and is 18% contained. It Started in Napa County west of Napa. The Pressley Fire has consumed nearly 500 acres and is 10% contained. It started in Sonoma County, east of Rohnert Park. Redwood/Potter Fires has consumed 34,000 acres and is 20% contained. It started in Mendocino County west of Mendocino National Forest. Extends into Lake County. The Sulphur Fire has consumed 2,500 acres and is 60% contained. It started in Lake County near Clearlake Oaks. The winds picked up to 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph early Today. They pushed the fires closer to several communities, forcing new evacuations for about 400 homes in Sonoma County. The Sonoma County Sheriff Department called for new mandatory evacuations in Sonoma County and the city of Santa Rosa this morning. The follow areas must leave immediately: 7th St East from E Napa St to Denmark St. North side of Denmark St from 7th St E to Napa Rd. 8th St E north of Denmark St. E MacArthur St east of 7th St. Quail Run Way, Hamblin Rd. in Santa Rosa; Hwy 12 between Adobe Canyon Rd in Kenwood and Calistoga Rd in Santa Rosa. This includes both sides of Hwy 12 and any/all side roads in between. Everybody needs to evacuate westbound on Hwy 12 to Santa Rosa immediately. 😔 The quality continues to worsen. People are asked to stay indoors with windows shut. If you go outside, you should wear a mask...model N95 or better. This advice extends to many parts of the North Bay Area. Two people overnight spent six hours in their pool to protect themselves as they were surrounded by flames. Such a horrible mental picture! [Updating 10/15] Here is an update on winery damage: Hagafen Cellars (4160 Silverado Trail, Napa): Wine Country’s only kosher winery has lost its crush pad, guest house and agricultural equipment, though the winery said its main building and tasting room appear to be fine. 😥 Helena View Johnston (Calistoga): Reports say the winery has burned.😥 Mayacamas Vineyards (established 1889) atop Mount Veeder in Napa survived the fire, but a private tasting and events building known as “the residence” was destroyed. 😐 Palmaz Vineyards (4029 Hagen Rd, Napa): The winery's main building only suffered superficial damage. 😐 Paras Vineyard at 2340 Mt. Veeder Rd., Napa. The family farm burned and there is some vineyard damage. 😥 Patland Estate Vineyards on Soda Canyon Rd., Napa reports of extensive damage to estate and vineyards. 😥 Pulido Walker (Mt. Veeder, Napa) According to the company’s Facebook, “Pulido Walker suffered a devastating loss of our home, but thus far the Estate vineyards seem to have withstood the destruction from the flames.” 😥 Roy Estate at 220 Soda Canyon Rd, Napa. There is confirmed damage at Roy Estate on Soda Canyon Road. 😥 Segassia Vineyard on 3390 Mount Veeder Rd, Napa. The Mt. Veeder winery, owned by Andrew Cates and family, has burned, according to a company spokesperson. 😥 Sill Family Vineyards 2929 Atlas Peak Rd, Napa Reports say the winery is destroyed. 😥 Sky Vineyards on 4352 Cavedale Rd, Glen Ellen Skyla Olds, whose family owns Sky Vineyard on Mt Veeder, has learned that the family's home had burned, but the winery was still intact, at least for now, though damaged. 😥 Storybook Mountain Vineyards on 3835 CA-128, Calistoga. The winery said it lost the building that housed the library wines, but the winery and two houses still stand. 😐 Ancient Oak Cellars on 4120 Old Redwood Hwy., Santa Rosa Reports owners lost house, two barns, and tasting counter. The winery's vineyard at Siert Ranch also damaged. 😥 Korbin Kameron on 13647 Arnold Dr, Glen Ellen. According to the winery's Facebook, it lost buildings and part of the vineyard.😥 Mayo Family Wineries on 13101 Arnold Dr., Glen Ellen. According to Jeff Mayo, a house on the property has burned, but as of Monday afternoon, the winery has been spared so far. 😥 Nicholson Ranch on 4200 Napa Rd., Sonoma. Despite early reports of big damage, the winery has made a statement via Facebook that despite some wreckage, it’s still intact.” 😐 Here is the updated progress on the fired that are burning. Conditions overnight were better than expected. The Tubbs Fire, Sonoma and Napa Counties Between Calistoga and Santa Rosa 35,470 acres consumed, 60% contained. Significant number of structures destroyed. Pocket Fire, Sonoma County North of Geyserville. 11,246 acres consumed and 25% contained. Nuns Fire, Sonoma County. East of Hwy 12 from east Santa Rosa to east of Sonoma. 47,106 acres, consumed and 25% contained. Oakmont Fire, Sonoma County near Oakmont. 550 acres consumed and 15% contained. Fires updates for Mendocino/Lake Complex. Redwood Valley, Mendocino County north of Hwy 20 in Potter Valley and Redwood Valley. 35,000 acres consumed and 35% contained, 8 civilian fatalities, significant structures destroyed. Sulphur Fire, Lake County, Clearlake Oaks. 2,207 acres consumed and 70% contained. They made significant progress overnight and feel they have turn the corner on the fires. Some people evacuated in Santa Rosa have hope they will be allowed to start returning to select areas to assess their situations. Evacuations for Calistoga have been lifted. 🙂 Residents are urged to be cautious as they return because fires are still burning on Mt. St. Helena. However, the fires are not an immediate threat to the city, according to the sheriff's office. Evacuation advisory for city of Napa lifted. The Atlas fire is looking better. The fire is 56 percent contained, according to Cal Fire. It has burned 51,057 acres. They will continue to mop up to make sure the fire stays in the box. They're confident it will remain there. 🙂The Mendocino County Sheriff Department released a plan to allow some residents evacuated due to fires, to return home on Sunday. Evacuation orders for the following areas are lifted, but remain under an evacuation warning. Residents should be prepared to evacuate again should conditions change. Th.e following areas will be repopulated starting at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday. Redwood Valley in the following areas: South of Tomki Road. This includes all feeder roads in Redwood Valley area south from of the intersection of Tomki Rd at East/West Rd. Willits in the following areas: Pine Mountain Subdivision. All areas between Eastside Rd and Tomki Rd..Potter Valley in the following areas: West of the intersection of Gibson Ln and Hawn Creek Rd. West of the intersection of Busch Ln and N. Busch Rd. Shale Lane north of Potter Valley Rd.. Sad situation but things are starting to improve. Let’s hope conditions stay calm and significant rain happens on Thursday. [Updating 10/16] The news this morning is Cal Fire has sent two staging crews to Oakville as the Nuns fire is creeping closer to Mondavi and Del Dotto wineries. 😳 Also, one of the fire tender trucks coming down the grade has run off the road and flipped over the guard railing at the Oakville Grade. The contract driver was killed. Fatigue may have part may have contributed to the accident. Many of the Firefighters have been working three shifts a day. 😥 The Tubbs Fire, Sonoma and Napa Counties Between Calistoga and Santa Rosa 36,390 acres consumed and 70% contained. There are a significant number of structures destroyed. The Pocket Fire, Sonoma County North of Geyserville. 11,889 acres consumed & 30% contained. The Nuns Fire in Sonoma County is still one of the bigger issues. East of Hwy 12 from east Santa Rosa to east of Sonoma. 48,627 acres consumed and 40% contained. Oakmont Fire, Sonoma County near Oakmont. 550 acres consumed and 15% contained. The Southern LNU Complex (2 fires) Atlas Fire, Napa & Solano Counties south of Lake Berryessa and northeast of Napa. 51,064 acres consumed and 68% contained, 6 civilian fatalities, significant structures destroyed. Mendocino-Lake Complex (2 fires). Redwood Valley, Mendocino County north of Hwy 20 in Potter Valley and Redwood Valley. 35,000 acres consumed and 35% contained. 8 civilian fatalities, significant structures are destroyed. Sulphur Fire, Lake County, Clearlake Oaks. 2,207 acres consumed and now 70% contained. PG&E says it believes that by the end of the day, power will be restored to nearly all who lost power and gas. [Updating 10/17] The Tubbs Fire, Sonoma and Napa Counties Between Calistoga and Santa Rosa has burned 36,390 acres and now 82% contained. Significant number of structures destroyed. The Pocket Fire, Sonoma County North of Geyserville. 11,889 acres consumed and is 58% contained. The Nuns Fire, Sonoma County. East of Hwy 12 from east Santa Rosa to east of Sonoma. Nearly 53,000 acres burned and 68% contained. They are now less concerned that the Nuns Fire will damage the wineries mentioned in the last two updates. 😀 However, should winds pick up that could change quickly. The area where the Nuns Fire is burning now is too steep and dangerous to send Firefighters into and they have been executing an all out aerial assault. The Oakmont Fire, Sonoma County near Oakmont. 550 acres burned and 15% contained. The Atlas Fire, Napa & Solano Counties south of Lake Berryessa and northeast of Napa. 51,064 acres and now 77% contained. Up 7% from last night. 6 civilian fatalities, significant structures destroyed. In Mendocino, Redwood Valley, Mendocino County north of Hwy 20 in Potter Valley and Redwood Valley. 35,000 acres burned and 55% contained, 8 civilian fatalities, significant structures destroyed.
The Sulphur Fire, Lake County, Clearlake Oaks. 2,207 acres burned and 70% contained. They have let people back into two areas of Santa Rosa. 😀 Officials are reminding people to get their claims filed early. If you have issues with your insurance company, call the Department of Insurance at 1-800-927-4357. They are also asking people to report any price gouging on supplies and or repair work to the local police. Watch out for scammers looking for you to sign papers early on. Also, third party assistance services that will want a big cut of your insurance settlement. On a similar but separate issue, there is a new wild fire (Bear Fire) burning as of 10:30pm last night that started in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Boulder Creek. It has already burned 125 acres. Today is also the 28 Anniversary if the 89 Loma Prieta Earthquake that rocked the greater Bay Area. Adding to the reports of Winery damage. Ancient Oak Cellars In Russian River Valley suffered heavy damages, with the tasting counter, two onsite redwood barns and the owner’s house being destroyed, the company said on its Facebook page. There was some good news the next day, though, as it wrote “although we have not been allowed on the property yet, Ken and Arnulfo and I were able to look from afar and we *believe* that our vines may have been spared. It’s too early to know for sure, but we see green, and not all scorched black as we feared.” 😥 Ahh Winery: The winery building at Glen Ellen was completely destroyed, along wth its water system, reports owner Bruce Rector. “We are OK,” he says. “The good news is we have two years of inventory.” The boutique winery offers a large selection of pinot noir, and the Rectors are known as much for their organic food as for their wines. 😥 Domaine Carneros: The a sparkling wine house in Napa’s Carneros district escaped damage to its winery, the vineyard manager confirmed, but a one-acre estate vineyard burned. The vineyard was in Sonoma, on the Stornetta Dairy property, which also burned down. 😥 Jarivs Estate the Napa winery from the Atlas Peak district sustained significant damage. Several structures, including the estate’s historic barn, known as Jarvis’ “pilot winery,” were destroyed, according to brand manager Elizabeth Rhoda. The winery is safe, however, thanks to being housed in a 45,000 square foot cave dug into the Vaca Mountains. 😥 [Update 10/18] The Tubbs Fire, Sonoma and Napa Counties between Calistoga and Santa Rosa have burned 36,432 acres and is now 91 contained. Significant number of structures destroyed. The Pocket Fire in Sonoma County North of Geyserville report 12,430 acres burned and is now 63% contained. The Nuns Fire in Sonoma County. East of Hwy 12 from east Santa Rosa to east of Sonoma reports 54,423 acres burned and is 80% contained. Oakmont Fire in Sonoma County near Oakmont report 550 acres burned and are 15% contained. The Atlas Fire in Napa & Solano Counties south of Lake Berryessa and northeast of Napa report 51,064 acres burned and now 83% contained. In Mendocino, the Redwood Valley, Mendocino County north of Hwy 20 in Potter Valley and Redwood Valley report 35,800 acres burned and is now 75% contained. The Sulphur Fire, Lake County, Clearlake Oaks report 2,207 acres are burned and now 92% contained. It’s good news on containment and on these fires doing far less serious damage for much longer. The new fire in the Santa Cruz Mtns. The Bear fire near Bear Canyon Road and Deer Creek Road in Boulder Creek have burned 271 acres are 10% contained. Evacuation orders have been issued for the communities of; Las Cumbres, Deer Creek, and all residents of Bear Creek Road.Santa Cruz County: Evacuation orders have been issued for the communities of Las Cumbres, Deer Creek, and all residents of Bear Creek Road from Hawk Ridge Road to Skyline Blvd (Hwy 35). So far, no news on any Santa Cruz Mountain Wineries damaged either by fire or smoke taint on fruit not harvested. One update on Napa Winery damage. Hertelendy Vineyards in Napa reported today that they lost 75% of their 17 fruit. 😥 The good news is that the fire only burned the exterior edges of their vineyards and they will have fruit next year. Robert Michael Mondavi Jr., of Michael Mondavi Family Estate, reported that the vineyard they use for the Animo cuvée was scorched by flames and the fruit was lost. “Our organic Atlas Peak vineyard had 95 percent burn-through,” 😥 [10/19] The Tubbs Fire, Sonoma and Napa Counties between Calistoga and Santa Rosa have burned 36,432 acres and is now 92% contained. Significant number of structures destroyed. The Pocket Fire in Sonoma County North of Geyserville report 16,552 acres burned and is now 73% contained. The Nuns Fire in Sonoma County. East of Hwy 12 from east Santa Rosa to east of Sonoma reports 54,423 acres burned and is 82% contained. Oakmont Fire in Sonoma County near Oakmont report 550 acres burned and are 15% contained. The Atlas Fire in Napa & Solano Counties south of Lake Berryessa and northeast of Napa report 51,624 acres burned and now 85% contained. In Mendocino, the Redwood Valley, Mendocino County north of Hwy 20 in Potter Valley and Redwood Valley report 36,523 acres burned and is now 85% contained. The Sulphur Fire, Lake County, Clearlake Oaks report 2,207 acres are burned and now 96% contained. The Bear Fire in the Santa Cruz Mtns. at Bear Canyon Road and Deer Creek Road in Boulder Creek. 320 acres, 30% contained. Santa Cruz County: Evacuation orders remain for Bear Creek Canyon Road, Deer Creek Road, Rons Road, Dons Road, and their tributary streets in the fire area. Las Cumbres Evacuation orders have been lifted for the Las Cumbres and Skyline Blvd. communities. Areas South of Bear Creek Rd. Evacuation orders have been lifted for areas south of Bear Creek Road such as Hidden Springs Lane, Moon Rise Road, Mustang Mesa, and Bear Creek Way. Areas still under Evacuation and Closed Bear Creek Canyon Road, Deer Creek Road, Rons Road, Dons Road, and their tributary streets in the effected fire area will remain closed. Conditions remained fairly calm and their is some light rain expected tonight; which should help. Many of the wineries are now open. The best way to help is donate financially but also keep your plans in place to visit and support the wineries, restaurants etc.. An additional update on winery damage. Muscardini Cellars says the road closures are causing some issues for growers in Kenwood. Muscardini reports that his tasting room was unharmed and he is trying to harvest his remaining Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. He added that one of the challenges is getting pickers and trucks into the region. Today, the California Insurance Commissioner estimated the wild fire damage at 1 billion dollars. He also added that number is expected to rise. — 3 years ago