The biggest earthquake experienced by California in 25 years caused something in the region of $50 million worth of damage, and yet this is only an initial estimate which is expected to rise, as the figure does not account for losses incurred by the interruption of quotidian trading, lost tourism, or lost inventory.
During the quake bottles were smashed, vats burst, and barrels knocked across cellars.
Some commentary has suggested that smaller-scale producers have been disproportionately affected. Craig Camp, managing partner at boutique producer Cornerstone Cellars, for example, says he still doesn't know the extent of wine losses but that "we have certainly lost some of our work from the 2013 vintage forever."
On Wednesday a smaller earthquake struck Northern California's wine country near where the initial magnitude-6.0 earthquake caused significant damage on 24 August.
© 2014 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article written by Peter Donnelly