Oldest winery in Napa Valley welcomes nearly 100 wine lovers during first day of outage
St. Helena, California, October 10, 2019 – Charles Krug Winery, the oldest winery in the Napa Valley, opted to remain open during the on-going PG&E Blackouts that began October 2019. The winery played host to nearly 100 customers after the decision to stay open was made by Jim Morris, VP of Estate Management & Guest Relations.
During the nearly unprecedented event carried out by California’s leading power provider, the winery’s tasting room staff hustled to create handmade signs to put out on Highway 29, chill wines in coolers, and move most of the tasting service outdoors to the well-lit lawn. The winery welcomed guests for a second day today, and plans to observe its normal schedule while awaiting the restoration of full power to the valley.
“They didn’t have electricity in 1861 when Charles Krug first made wine here, did they?” Jim Morris asked his tasting room hosts while they opened wine bottles of wine in preparation for the arrival of guests. “So many visitors to Napa Valley save for and plan their trip for months; we will make sure they get to enjoy some wine, hospitality and hopefully a memorable experience at Charles Krug, even if we are in the dark.”
Accordingly, the winery continued to welcome Wine Train guests, who disembark twice daily at the Charles Krug Winery as part of their tour. Their first stop takes them into the Redwood Cellar, one of the original winery buildings finished in 1872, where Annie Monteverdi greets them with a refreshing glass of Chenin Blanc and describes the rich history of the iconic estate.
About Charles Krug
In 1943, Italian immigrants Cesare and Rosa Mondavi purchased the historic Charles Krug property, the oldest winery in the Napa Valley and longest-running tasting room in California. The brand was built on a foundation of family values, hard work and a European winemaking tradition; it remains a family-owned winery today, producing estate-driven, top of the line Napa Valley wines. The wineries are under the direction of Peter Mondavi Jr. and Marc Mondavi, who steward the family business passed to them by their father, legendary Napa Valley wine icon Peter Mondavi Sr. The family is now proudly welcoming members of the fourth generation to the business, continuing a legacy started over 70 years ago and setting a foundation for generations to come. For additional information, please visit www.charleskrug.com.
