Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/918844
January 2018 WINES&VINES 41 WINEMAKING tive price. Weir notes that comprehensive in- surance "is expensive, but you have to have it." He recommends that you see your insurance broker as a business partner, as insurance is complicated, necessary and far from most win- ery owners' core competencies of making and marketing wine. Long ago, it was explained to me that in- surance is like a box of bandages. Some work for one kind of wound, others for a different injury. Weir is insured for liability, property damage and business interruptions. The insur- ance for each of these is a different shaped "bandage" for a different kind of "injury." Business-interruption insurance is probably the least understood; it assists with expenses and loss of income associated with a disaster. Hagafen was closed for a week due to the fires, losing tasting room revenue while still having to pay staff salaries and other business expenses. Depending on the business-inter- ruption policy, insurance may cover loss of tasting room sales, temporary relocation costs, employee wages and rent. Going forward, Weir said he will have better back-up power. It took one week to get a large generator delivered, and it arrived an hour after power was restored. Losing power for a full week during crush meant that fermenta- tions couldn't be cooled, and red tanks couldn't be pumped over or pressed. Weir uses solar panels, but they require electricity from the grid to power his inverter, so they were unus- able. He told Wines & Vines in the future he will add a battery system to be able to utilize his solar power. Weir said he would recommend having your buildings made from steel or stone rather than wood. It may cost more, but it can't burn. An organic farmer, he would also mow his vine rows lower to the ground, allowing the vineyard to be a more effective fire break than a fuel source. Ready for a firestorm Jake Fetzer is co-owner of Masút Vineyard and Winery west of Redwood Valley, Calif., in the Eagle Peak appellation. Masút is an indigenous word meaning "dark, rich earth." Fetzer's vine- yard was planted in the 1990s and provides all the grapes for his 5,000-case winery. The Redwood Valley Complex fire started within a few hours of the Atlas Fire, burning 36,000 acres and claiming nine lives. Fetzer explained that a fire fanned by 50- to 70-mile-per-hour winds, hurtling huge em- bers sideways, is a "firestorm" rather than "wildfire" or "brushfire." "It was a unique event that burned every- thing in its path," he said. From his home, Fetzer heard propane tanks and car gas tanks exploding all night long. The fire even jumped a 1,000-acre area that burned earlier in the year. The most significant part of Fetzer's plan- ning was the decision years earlier to buy a water truck and be trained to operate it. "We live and die by the water truck" and keep it filled at all times, he said. With it, Fetzer and his brother not only were able to save his win- ery and home but also aided their neighbors and used it to transport water to firefighters. They also own and used tractors and a bull- dozer for firefighting. Like Hagafen, Masút makes certain to mow all grass between the rows as low as possible, and to mow as soon as it's dried out. Near build- ings they use mowers and weed eaters beyond the recommended distance, going "as far out as we can go." Fetzer observed that low grass makes a difference: His uncle's cattle property was grazed and had much less damage. Insurance is part of the disaster plan at Masút. As it's common for small wineries to blur the lines between personal and business assets, Fetzer advises that you spend the time to detail all business and personal property. He spends up to two full days preparing prior to the annual meeting with his insurance broker, stating, "It's tempting to have a quick meeting, but shortsighted." Like Weir, Fetzer recom- Sanitary Stainless Welding Inc. is the exclusive North American distributor for the Marzola product line