Napa Valley Vintners establishes disaster relief fund after quake

Less than a week after a magnitude 6.0 quake shook the lower Napa Valley, Napa Valley Vintners, a nonprofit trade association that represents 500 members, has established a community disaster fund for earthquake relief. Its mission is to help the hundreds of local residents and local businesses who were affected by the quake. Most are in the city of Napa and south of the city in American Canyon.

Napa Valley Vintners has pledged $10 million. To get the money to those that need it, the organization will be working with the Napa Valley Community Foundation. They’re hoping, too, that other organizations and individuals will contribute to the fund.

Vintner Steve Matthiasson and his wife, Jill, whose house was red-tagged after the quake, have stepped forward with a special Matthiasson Quake Cuvée. After tax, all the monies from the limited-edition cuvée will go to the disaster relief fund. They are taking pre-orders for the $48 red blend until Sept. 15. The wine will ship in spring 2015.

The community disaster fund is just in its starting days. Most of the funds will come from proceeds of the Napa Valley Vintner’s annual Auction Napa Valley charity event. But they’re also seeking contributions from individual, corporate and foundation donors. Right now the funds will be used for temporary housing, food and water, medical care, counseling and housing repairs needed for immediate safety concerns.

Meanwhile, the harvest — and it looks to be an excellent one — goes on.

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