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72 W i n e s & V i n e s s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4 WineEast News Out of the Ashes, a New Start Miletta Vista Winery in Nebraska rebounds from fire that leveled the property in 2012 S t. Paul, Neb.—It's been two years since Mick and Loretta McDowell, owners of Miletta Vista Winery, endured a fire at the winery where they also lived. While the couple escaped without injury, their five-year-old winery—including the production facility, tasting room and restaurant—was totally destroyed by the fire. With the support of their staff and community, the couple decided to rebuild the winery and proceed with harvest—then only three weeks away. McDowell set up a temporary facility in an undamaged shed and produced the 2012 vintage. "We didn't have any smoke damage to the grapes, since the wind blew so hard and came from all directions," McDowell said. The new winery was finished 345 days after the fire and officially reopened July 12, 2013. It was rebuilt on the same site, but the McDowells made numerous changes to improve different parts of the facility. The winery production area is now in a steel building that is 35% larger than before, and the increase in size gives the winery space to grow to about 15,000 gallons. (Prior to the fire, Miletta Vista Winery produced approximately 5,000 gallons of wine per year, making it the fourth-largest winery in Nebraska.) It has a vaulted roof that allows for a catwalk above the tanks, a new cooling system and better insulation. The tasting room and res- taurant area was expanded. A new covered patio can accommodate up to 100 people, and a tasting room for 35-45 people was added. In January, Loretta's son Casey and his wife Paula moved home to become involved in growing grapes and making wine; Casey is also managing the wholesale accounts for the family business. In the aftermath of the fire, McDowell has one piece of advice for all winery owners: check your insurance policies to be sure you have coverage that includes staff salaries, wine inventory and personal property as well as the building and equipment. —Linda Jones McKee Waterloo_Nov10.qxp 8/26/10 11:36 AM Page 1 A new covered patio at the rebuilt Miletta Vista Winery can accommodate up to 100 winery visitors.