The historic Soda Rock Winery of Healdsburg, Calif. has been destroyed by Northern California’s Kincade Fire. The wildfire, which was started late last Wednesday, has covered roughly 73,000 acres across wine country and has required the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared the Kincade Fire a statewide emergency.
Alexander Valley’s Soda Rock Winery’s main building dates back to the 1860s, and has reportedly been undergoing extensive preservation efforts. The winery’s main building originally served as Alexander Valley’s general store and post office, and according to Soda Rock’s website, was known as a “central hub of activity for the valley.”
Structures at the nearby Field Stone Winery and Moville Vineyard have also been damaged, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Soda Rock Winery, posting on Facebook, said, “We’ve seen the news. We are devastated. We don’t have much information, but we will update you as soon as we know anything. Our staff is safe—right now what is most important is the safety of the first responders battling the fire. Thank you everyone for your concern.”
The fire continues to blaze throughout wine country in spite of PG&E’s preemptive power cuts to the region earlier this month. The Washington Post reported a high-voltage power line malfunction belonging to the utility company in the exact area roughly seven minutes before the fire began on Wednesday, Oct. 23. According to a statement by PG&E chief executive Bill Johnson at the time, PG&E does not accept responsibility for the Kincade Fire. Sprudge has covered PG&E’s effect on wine country before, including in a post from last week.
Laura Jaye Cramer is a freelance writer based in California and has written for SF Weekly, GOOD, and PAPER Magazine. Read more Laura Jaye Cramer for Sprudge Wine.
