List of Damaged Wineries & Businesses
During our “Sonoma Recovery Mission” we focused on researching businesses which specifically sustained fire damage or were adversely impacted from the fires. The amount of impacted businesses we came across was vast, as one can imagine, and we thought that as inspired we were in wanting to do more when we returned, you might be as inspired, when hearing and reading about our mission, that you want to go on your own exploration to assist Sonoma County businesses in their recovery efforts. Businesses are grateful for supporting their recovery phase.
In addition to the businesses we supported on our mission, you can find below a list of other fire-impacted wineries and businesses that certainly are grateful for any support.
The steps we took to get started on our mission are easily duplicated. Here are our 3 easy steps we took to help the North Bay businesses:
- We selected a few businesses to support.
- Located their operating hours. – At times we called ahead to find out the type of products they had available especially, for businesses that were listed to have suffered severe fire damages, or total loss. Even severely damaged businesses many times still had product offerings because, they for example stored their inventory at another location and hence it was spared from the fires.
- We drove there for an in-person visit, to learn about their business, enjoyed their offerings and supported them through purchasing some of their products.
You do not need to be familiar with the area, and you do not need to be a wine connoisseur to create your own exploration and with that support the people and businesses in the area.
We recognize, unfortunately, that there are certainly many other businesses severely impacted.
If you come across others on your exploration, feel free to email me and I will gladly post them:
List of Wineries & Businesses Damaged by Oct. 2017 North Bay Fires
Restaurants
Willi’s Wine Bar (4404 Old Redwood Highway, Santa Rosa) Burned down. Was one of Top 100 Restaurant for four consecutive years, the wine bar’s ownership group holds five other eateries in Santa Rosa or Healdsburg. More info at our Giving Back page.
Delhi Belli Lost most of their employees (relocated)
Ramekins Lost business during their busiest time of the year. Had to lay off staff due to loss of income.
Sweet T’s Restaurant & Bar (2097 Stagecoach Road #100, Santa Rosa): Destroyed, per The Press-Democrat. The soul food eatery served barbecue plates and entrees such as shrimp gumbo and fried catfish.
Cricklewood Restaurant (4618 Old Redwood Highway, Santa Rosa): Destroyed. The 42-year-old steakhouse’s owners said they were “shell shocked, heartbroken and beyond (s)ad”.
Hotel & B&Bs
Olea Hotel – Lost buildings in the fire. Had a great re-opening Aug.2018
Swiss Hotel – Owner lost his home in the fire
Beltane Ranch B&B – Lost business and suffered damage
Fountaingrove Inn & Round Barn (101 Fountaingrove Parkway., Santa Rosa): “Unable to conduct business in any capacity,” according to general manager Justin Hayman. The boutique hotel’s wood-and-stone exterior was home to 124 rooms and suites.
Other Businesses
Stornetta Dairy (4310 Fremont Drive, Sonoma): Several buildings burned down. The 101-year-old business changed its named to Clover Sonoma earlier this year.
Moon Mountain Xmas Tree Farm – Lost trees in fire
Luther Burbank Center for the Arts (Santa Rosa): Classrooms and east end of the complex are destroyed, but main building has minimal damage. All performances are canceled through Sunday.
URJ Camp Newman(4088 Porter Creek Road, Santa Rosa): Majority of buildings have been destroyed. The beloved Jewish sleepaway camp celebrated its 70th anniversary earlier this year. More…
Halem jewelry lost their home
Town square owner lost his home
Safari West
Wineries
Sonoma County wineries
Paradise Ridge Winery (4545 Thomas Lake Harris Drive, Santa Rosa): Destroyed. They operate a Tasting room. See more info in our mission slides. In A Wednesday morning post, though, it said all employees were safe and vowed to rebuild.
Ancient Oak Cellars Has sustained significant damage. This Russian River Valley winery suffered heavy damages, with the tasting counter, two onsite redwood barns and the owner’s house being destroyed. 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.”
Sky Vineyards There’s reportedly some fire damage here, but the facility is still standing. Extent of the damage is unknown.
Nicholson Ranch (4200 Napa Road, Sonoma): Some fire damage but all wine remains secure, a post on the winery’s Facebook page said. Nicholson Ranch produces 5,000 to 6,000 cases of pinot noir, chardonnay, syrah and merlot per year.
Chateau St. Jean Sustained moderate Fire damage
Mayo Family Wineries A house on the property was destroyed by the fire, but the winery itself has so far been spared.
Gundlach Bundschu Winery According to reports on Twitter, the property suffered some fire damage, but said its winery and structure were still intact. The family home on the property, however, was lost.
Napa County wineries more
Signorello Vineyard (4500 Silverado Trail, Napa)
The winery was completely destroyed. The winery and its vines, first planted in 1980, produced less than 6,000 cases per year.
Stags’ Leap Winery (6150 Silverado Trail, Napa)
The fire’s impact on the winery was described as “minimal” on Stag’s Leap’s Facebook page. Stag’s Leap’s Cabernet Sauvignon won the 1976 Judgment of Paris, portrayed in the 2008 movie “Bottle Shock.”
White Rock Vineyards (1115 Loma Vista Drive, Napa)
Winery was a total loss, state of vineyard is undetermined. One of Napa’s oldest wineries. The winery has been owned by the Vandendriessche family since 1870.
Darioush Winery
The Stag’s Leap District winner. Suffered some landscape and vineyard damage, but said the winery structure was sound according to The Mercury News.
Hagafen Cellars
While the winery building and tasting room survived, the crush pad at the back of the winery was burned and all agricultural equipment and 1 acre of the winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard was burned.
“What this all will mean for vintage 2017 is yet to be determined. Much of our wine is already inside and resting in barrels. As for vintage 2018, I am reasonably certain that we will continue, repair the damage, replace the equipment needed, etc.,” the winery said on its Facebook page.
Helena View Johnston Vineyards
The Mercury News spoke with the owner’s brother, who told them “all is lost” at the organic winery
Segassia Vineyard
The Patrick Road fire damaged this Mount Veeder region vineyard to a large extend. A home on the property was lost. See more at our Giving back page.
VinRoc Winery
This small-batch family winery, which makes no more than 1,000 cases per year, reportedly suffered a “total loss”. Proprietor and winemaker Michael Parmenter told local media “everything gone except our (wine) cave.
Mendocino County wineries
Frey Vineyards Winery Alison deGrassi of Visit Mendocino told the Mercury News that the winery, which focuses on organic and biodynamic wines, was destroyed by the fires.
Oster Wine Cellars Visit Medocino’s deGrassi also listed Oster, another Redwood Valley staple, as a total loss.
Golden Vineyards The vineyards at this Hopland winery are “scorched but they are not ruined,” according to owner Julie Golden (via the Mercury News).