California wine spill
A view of Russian River near to Healdsburg.
(Image credit: George Rose / Getty Images)

Cabernet Sauvignon gushed from a vat containing up to 97,000 gallons of wine – equivalent to 367,000 litres – at Rodney Strong Vineyards near to Healdsburg in Sonoma County.  

Wine escaped after a vat door popped open at around 1:30pm on Wednesday afternoon (22 January), according to local newspaper The Press Democrat.

A helicopter from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office was called in to monitor the spread of wine.

An incident report from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services on Wednesday afternoon (22 January) said 97,112 gallons (367,000 litres) of wine was spilled and that between 46,000 and 96,000 gallons may have made it into the river.

However, Rodney Strong spokesperson Chris O’Gorman told the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday (23 January) that winery staff had captured around half of the wine, meaning less than 45,000 gallons (170,000 litres) escaped the property. 

‘Our best estimate is that at least 50% of the wine was diverted from waterways,’ said the winery in a statement on 24 January, adding that it had notified authorities immediately following the ‘apparent mechanical failure’.

It confirmed that some wine had made it into the river, but it said the winery team was was working with authorities to help prevent damage to waterways and wildlife, as well as to understand how the accident happened.

‘Most of us here grew up swimming in the Russian River, and it is a vital part of our local eco-system,’ the winery said. ‘We are deeply concerned and are doing absolutely everything in our power to protect our waterways.’

Family-owned Rodney Strong Vineyards began after Rodney Strong retired as a professional dancer and founded a winery 1959 in Sonoma County in 1959, alongside his ex-dancing partner and wife, Charlotte Ann Winson. Today, the group has 14 estate vineyards.

Updated on 25/01/2020 following a situation update from the winery.

Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.