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Copyright © 2004, Dover Canyon Winery. All rights reserved. |
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December 22, 2003 Earthquake 6.5 |
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Knock on wood—are they empty or full? |
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What a mess! Our December 22nd earthquake measured 6.5 on the Richter scale, and bounced wine barrels weighing over six hundred pounds around like basketballs. Even the large hogsheads, which appear to be in place on the bottom layer, turned on their sides and popped their bungs.
Dan said it sounded like “a hundred bottles being poured at once. Glug, glug, glug, glug, glug!”
Just as we were surveying the carnage for the first time (totally in shock), a young couple in an SUV pulled up and innocently asked if we were open for wine tasting. We couldn’t even talk—we just pointed toward the cellar. Bless their hearts, they offered to help clean up, but we were still having severe aftershocks, and Dan didn’t want anyone else around the precariously perched barrels. |
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Our house suffered damage as well—the chimney was destroyed, the fireplace sank, windows and walls cracked, and of course every tacky wine festival glass that we’ve cumulatively collected over twelve years broke. (Thank God.) |
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The stainless steel variable tanks to the left popped their lids and sloshed wine (that’s the shiny stuff) onto the cement pad and into the vineyard. Happy gophers.
Fortunately, Dan was able to stabilize and lower the lids right away to prevent further loss. We worked straight through Christmas week and Christmas Day to save the wine, cleaning, racking, topping, and sterilizing. (That was my job. Yuck.)
In spite of the mayhem, the two vases of cheery flowers on the tasting bar stayed exactly in place. When I pointed out to Dan that there was something “odd” in the cellar, he was grumpy. “You mean something odder than my entire cellar turned topsy-turvy??” |
