10/9/2017 - Napa Valley, CA — With the wildfires in Napa County remaining changeable, ongoing emergency response communications are today the highest-level priority of the Napa Valley Vintners, helping to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our staff, members, neighbors, friends and community as a whole.
Evacuations are still underway and many people remain without power and cell phone reception, making communications difficult. The remarkable firefighters and other first responders are tirelessly at work and we are forever grateful to them and the sense of community in Napa Valley that will pull us forward.
As of now, we do not have any verifiable information regarding vineyard acreage or winery buildings burned. We do know that most Napa Valley wineries were closed today due to power outages, evacuation orders and their employees being unable to get to work. We are referring people to CalFire and Napa County for information specific to the status of the fires, evacuations, power outages and road closures.
We are assessing information on how the fires might affect the 2017 harvest and the wine industry specifically, but it will be some time before we have any specific information along these lines. It should be noted that the majority of Napa Valley’s grapes were picked before the fires started last night.
For those wishing to help with relief and recovery efforts, the Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund has been reactivated and is accepting donations. You can learn more on the Napa Valley Community Foundation’s website.
We ask that our media friends have patience, as many of us are without power and cell phone reception and are working from remote locations. Some of us have been evacuated.
We will be updating information on our website at napavintners.com as it becomes available and verifiable.
About the Napa Valley Vintners The Napa Valley Vintners nonprofit trade association has been cultivating excellence since 1944 by inspiring its 550 members to consistently produce wines of the highest quality, to provide environmental leadership and to care for the extraordinary place they call home. Learn more at napavintners.com.
Contact: Patsy McGaughy, Communications Director - pmcgaughy@napavintners.com Cate Conniff, Communications Manager - cconniff@napavintners.com
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