Napa Valley Vintners launch fund to get back to normal

NAPA, Calif. (KGO) -- The Napa Valley Vintners launched a community fund to help get business back open and make repairs to homes.

Wineries like the Hess Collection located on Mount Veeder are still cleaning up after Sunday morning's powerful earthquake.

At Hess, about 1,500 barrels toppled over in the warehouse and 18,000 gallons of red wine burst out these steel tanks.

The wine came gushing out of the cellar, down into the garden -- $4 million worth of cabernet sauvignon.

The tasting room rock wall has been red tagged because it might not be structurally sound.

"The structural engineers are concerned that up here there are some cracks," said Jim Caudill of Hess Collection Winery.

But they're still open. Most wineries are open and they want people to know that.

"Napa is not closed down. People asked how can we help? Come visit. Do what you were going to do anyway," said Caudill.

The 6.0 tremor damaged hundreds of Napa shops and restaurants. Some residents still don't have water. But help is on the way. The Napa Valley Vintners Association launched a community disaster relief fund. The non-profit is leading the way with a $10 million donation.

"We wanted to do something that would be immediate and fill that gap until hopefully other government funding comes through," said Linda Reiff, President of Napa Valley Vintners.

City officials estimate the total damage to homes and businesses is close to $300 million dollars. Many are still assessing damage and waiting to hear back from insurance companies while hoping for federal relief.

This fund provides immediate assistance to rebuild and the support to come back from a disaster.