Support Wildfire Recovery

Update: May 2021
Big Basin Redwoods State Park plans partial reopening!

After suffering damage to 97% of its area and nearly all of its redwoods, Big Basin Redwoods State Park has announced it will be reopening the Rancho del Oso Nature and History Center beginning Memorial Day Weekend, May 29th & 30th. This area is on the coast along Highway 1 near the border of Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties. Learn more

On August 19th, 2020, we heard the order to evacuate from emergency helicopters circling overhead. We received word on August 22nd that the CZU Lightning Complex Fires had reached our property from three different directions and the losses were considerable.

Our winery has been miraculously spared, but our estate vineyard has been badly scorched. The home that our founder Bradley Brown built from the redwoods growing on our property—a favorite gathering spot for our club members—has burned to the ground.

The surrounding forest suffered badly and our vineyard storage buildings, fencing, and irrigation systems have been destroyed. While insurance will cover material losses, crop insurance is not available in our area. We lost our entire 2020 Estate vintage, which accounts for more than half of our annual income. Fortunately, we were still able to vinify the fruit harvested from our partner vineyards.

We have been moved by the numerous messages of concern and support we have received from our customers. We thank everyone who donated to the GoFundMe campaign to enable us rebuild and replant what we have lost, beyond what can be covered by insurance. The outpouring of support has been above and beyond what we expected and so we have closed our campaign and would direct your charitable efforts to the list below of highly regarded organizations continuing to do that hard work of recovery.

This location has been an active site for grape vines since the early 1900s, and we will continue to be conscientious and passionate stewards of this unique island of beauty and bounty. We look forward to sharing this special location and our wines with you in the future.

Aid our Wildfire-Ravaged Community

This year has been unprecedented in the difficulties faced by our communities. The damage wrought by the CZU and SCU Lightning Complex Fires has been extensive and comes at a time when many people and businesses were already facing economic hardships due to the global pandemic. We can only get through these events together. Please, support our community as much as you are able to.

Support Struggling Vineyards

Buy wine from local wineries and vineyards, almost all of whom have been impacted in some way by these fires. Visit Wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains to learn more.

Wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains