A blending tank at California winery Rodney Strong Vineyards recently released thousands of gallons of cabernet sauvignon into a creek that feeds into the nearby Russian River.
The Sonoma County winery reported discovering a leak in one of its tanks on January 22 and then, following internal emergency protocols, contacted local authorities including the California Office of Emergency Response, Healdsburg Fire, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
“We have been working closely with them and the Sonoma County water control board on containment measures throughout the incident,” the winery said on January 24.
Rodney Strong Vineyards estimated that at least half the wine spilled was diverted from waterways through winery pumps, drainpipes into vineyard ponds, and pumping out of Reiman Creek by winery personnel and a third-party contractor.
“Unfortunately, some wine made it from the creek into the Russian River,” the winery said. “At the time of the spill, river flow was at its highest volume of the week, at approximately 65 million gallons per hour, due to recent rains. We are investigating the apparent mechanical failure and have begun developing a plan with the CDFW to clean up the creek bank without doing damage to the environment.”
The open blending tank door released an estimated 46,000 to 96,000 gallons of wine into Reiman Creek, according to a hazardous material spill update on the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services site.
Charles Reed, a Water Board supervisor, told the Press Democrat that the Water Quality Control Board had identified two permit violations but had not yet determined enforcement for them. “Results from water samples taken to measure potential fish kill are expected in a few days, he said, and a full report on the wine spill should be completed in two weeks.”
This week Wine Spectator reported that Rodney Strong’s communication director Christopher O’Gorman said the winery had ruled out human error in the spill, and that the tank door had unexpectedly popped open.
Russian Riverkeeper executive director Don McEnhill told Wine Spectator that his nonprofit group will continue to monitor the river. On Facebook, the nonprofit posted the news with a note saying, “Disappointed by this spill, but glad that the vineyard notified officials and tried to clean up its mess. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
