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18 WINES&VINES June 2015 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS N apa, Calif.—The first phase of restora- tion and repair of the historic winery at Trefethen Family Vineyards is nearing completion with the building already standing straighter. The structure, which dates back to 1886, suffered significant damage in the Aug. 24 earthquake that occurred just south of Napa, Calif. While the building had been stabi- lized in the days immediately after the quake, there was some uncertainty about whether it could be saved or restored to its former historical appearance. The winery's president Jon Ruel told Wines & Vines that after assembling a team of contractors, engineers, architects and historians the first goal of the restoration project involved getting the building back into vertical alignment. After the earth- quake, the upper floors of the structure were leaning precipitously to the west by nearly 4 feet. The exterior of the structure was reinforced with a framework of stout metal beams, and the interior was reinforced with "cribbing," or stacks of timber as thick as railroad ties and large jacks. Work began in April to get the building realigned. The process involved tightening cables anchored in the building's cement foun- dation and in specific spots on the walls. The initial hope was to get the building back into alignment at a rate of about 1 inch per day. "Well, the building reacted positively and quickly, and most of the 40+ inches needed was achieved in just one day," Ruel said. "It truly felt like a miracle.…It's like we did chi- ropractic work, and you could almost hear the building say 'Ahhhh, that feels better.' " Ruel said the experts on site were also im- pressed by the elasticity of the wood structure snapping back in to place. Trost Jacking and Heavy Moving in Bay Point, Calif., pulled the building in to place and continues to work on the structure. To keep the building straight, the engineers adjusted the cribbing and jacks and added steel beams to the external frame. "Anyhow, that is the first phase, nearly com- plete, but there remains much work to be done," Ruel said. Santa Rosa, Calif.-based ZFA Structural En- gineers, which helped build Dominus Estate, Alpha Omega,Quintessa Vineyards and the seismic retrofit at Chateau Montelena Win- ery is the structural engineering firm on the project. The entire cost of the project is still being determined. Ruel said earthquake insurance is expensive for a modern build- ing and "near impossible" for a building that's 129 years old. As the restoration work continues, the winery has been hosting visitors in a tented pavilion the staff is calling "The Conserva- tory." While the "pop-up" tasting room has proved quite popular, Ruel said it is tem- porary. The Trefethen family is planning to convert an existing house on the estate into a tasting room, although there's no set date on when that would open. —Andrew Adams Historic Napa Winery Standing Tall Most alignment of the structure was completed in one day.