Losing Power During Harvest

WINE TALK
21

Everything I have fermenting currently depends on nothing (cooling/etc) or no one (punch downs et al).

However, in 2017, during the terrible/awful fire, my first fermentation of Tempranillo was stranded. And here I am, with another Tempranillo fermentation that’s about to be stranded due to fire. Clearly, it’s dangerous when I ferment Tempranillo…and for that, I’m sorry.

22

It’s 4:00 am and I’m getting ready for work. Texted the winemaker in Anderson Valley and they have power. I’m not exactly sure when ours went out. Should be interesting to see how this day shakes out.

23

[dance-clap.gif] [berserker.gif]

24

PGE is open to hearing better solutions.

25

Maybe they should start by realizing that the world in which they install their gear sometimes has windy days. Locally, they were whining about 20 MPH winds. Seriously? No way you can engineer for that?

26

How many people’s actively cooled wine cellars are at risk? Does not seem like temperatures out there are that high but I know I would still be concerned if I did not have a generator. Hopefully this does not last more than 5 days.

27

I think the area had more dependable electricity 100 years ago.

Does our electrical contract have an exemption for when PG & E feels it would be inconvenient to provide their services?

28

Map of PG&E shutoff areas with actual service interruption Area superimposed.

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/multimedia/10155327-181/pges-proposed-shutoff-areas-compared

29

Picked 12 tons of Pinot this morning (well my crew did) and now home to get generator going for fridge, freezer and computer/internet. So far so good. Plenty of ice for cocktails tonight, now let’s see if I can get a nap.

30

Thanks for putting this up but unfortunately it isn’t accurate. They are only overlaying what PG&E said is turned off over what they proposed to turned off, however the orange layer which is supposed to be the areas turned off is not accurate at all, for example healdsburg is completely up, and some areas of windsor I know have power are also shown as out. They need a disclaimer.

31

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32

Power out for 6 hours after a storm is one thing. Power out for up to 5-7 days affecting 800,000 - 1,000,000 people is another. No cell service, stores with little food and water, gas sold out, elderly without equipment, on and on…

33

Report said Napa had a rolling outage today and “traffic was a mess”.

Not sure the two are related. [stirthepothal.gif]

34

Wrecks all over Santa Rosa due to idiots not treating inoperative traffic signals as a 4-way stop. The intelligence level of the average citizen is is brought out in the open in situations like these. And it scares me.

Practically no power outage planned or executed West of US 101 but all the stores and gas stations in West Sonoma County are overrun, people in social media asking about their water supply etc…

It’s one thing to be prepared, it’s a whole nother to overreact like they are.

35

The city of Healdsburg has its own power plant and is independent of PG&E. As does the town of Yountville (I am not totally sure where their plant is, but I presume this has to do with housing the Veterans Home).

It was fascinating to drive from Napa to Healdsburg this morning and note the spots that had power generation (some wineries, Yountville, Farmstead, and, thank god, Buster’s BBQ in Calistoga). The city of Healdsburg is lit up as though nothing is happening. Gas stations in Calistoga and Napa looked like the photos I’ve seen of the OPEC crisis during the Carter administration. Our Twomey winery right outside city limits of Healdsburg is dark. Luckily, it has no really active ferments, just a few things winding down. Our Silver Oak wineries have generators and it was easy to forget that most of the rest of the area was without power (including as I type this sitting in Oakville).

Anyways, my point is that maybe the concept of municipalities generating their own power will gain traction? I have to think it is incredibly inefficient on the macro level, but it certainly makes the populous less beholden to massive power companies. And, it’s certainly way more efficient than individual private citizens and businesses generating their own power. Maybe separate ownership of the power lines and power generation with separate responsibilities and liability?

36

Lost power last night in Sonoma. Some tasting rooms were opening this morning, but there was no place to eat in town. We moved up our tasting at Bedrock to first thing this morning (Thank you!!!) and left for Tahoe a day early. There was no wind in Sonoma but the wind picked up as we moved east, and I see on the news that they’re expecting 45+ mph winds on the Sonoma County ridge-lines tonight. We only got a small taste of Sonoma but will definitely come back when there isn’t a red-flag warning!

BTW, the Bedrock winery has a generator, and I was told that the staff would be “huddling around the generator” this evening.

37

Rick, I was hoping to visit Heater Allen tomorrow while in MAC! Please tell me it’s open?!

38

After a day of customers discussing their loss of power and location, it would be impossible to map it out unless you know what power lines were put in place, where they were added on to and where new lines are with new construction. Houses in south Napa, north of Imola and two blocks west of Napa River have no power. They are no where near any grassland or trees, but the lines through that area power far west Brownsvalley which is at the edge of grassland/trees.

I have power at the store. The old restaurant next door does not, nor does the new apartment complex, old mobile home park and newer homes across the street to the east. We are a half mile from the nearest grassland except for the vacant, overgrown lot south of the store. The high voltage feeders are on the poles in front of my store.

I have power at my house built in 1979. Our street was extended in 2003 toward the center of the city and new homes built. They don’t have power but I do and I’m closer to grassland.

I seriously doubt PG&E can really keep up on what lines go where beyond “generally,” which will result in no power to places that don’t make sense. It wouldn’t surprise me if a hospital gets cut out of power because their service also powers fire prone areas.

Almost forgot. All but one person who dropped in today that own or work at a winery said they had power or generators. One limo driver said he had the day off after his scheduled tour was cancelled because of closed wineries/tasting rooms. Different impacts all around.

39

Municipalities can set up their own power agencies, but they rarely set up their own distribution lines to bring the power from the source if it’s not local. My place of work does have two sources with independent power lines, and the non-PG&E source is much less likely to have issues (less extensive network, not in wooded areas, and more aggressive about trimming all vegetation).

-Al

40

Lisa will be there all day (brew day). I’ll let her know you’re coming.