At least the vineyard was spared: Napa’s Burgess Cellars burns in Glass Fire

The Lawrence Family, owners of Napa Valley’s Heitz Cellar, and Carlton McCoy Jr., CEO and master sommelier, confirmed to the Business Journal on Tuesday afternoon the loss of Burgess Cellars to the Glass Fire, as of Monday at 5:30 p.m.

Gaylon Lawrence Jr. and McCoy Jr. had just acquired the Howell Mountain estate less than three weeks ago, on Sept. 11.

The winery was destroyed in the fire, and the full extent of the damage remains unclear, the owners said in a statement. Reports show minimal damage to the vineyards themselves. The owners said they have not yet received official clearance to directly inspect the estate.

“While we are devastated by the loss of these great heritage structures, we were heartened to hear that the vineyards were mainly spared,” said McCoy Jr. “We look forward to many more great vintages once we can rebuild the winery.”