Foley-Johnson Winery in Napa Valley has closed temporarily after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus.
“One Foley-Johnson winery employee tested positive for COVID-19 in early July,” the Rutherford winery posted on Instagram Tuesday morning. “No other employees were in close contact with this person as defined under Napa County health directives.” The winery will be sanitized, and all other employees will undergo testing or quarantine for 14 days, the post added. Winery representatives would not comment for this story, including to say when the tasting room had closed.
It’s the first known winery in Northern California to close to the public due to the coronavirus. Another winery in Sonoma County had 14 workers test positive for the coronavirus in May; county public health officials did not disclose its name, but the Sonoma County Vintners said the winery was not open to visitors.
There have already been major coronavirus concerns among vineyard workers. At least 30 residents at Napa’s farmworker housing centers had tested positive by early July. Solano County’s public health officer said there were at least 60 COVID-19 cases among county residents who work in Wine Country.
Foley-Johnson, which reopened to the public earlier this summer, is owned by Bill Foley, who owns more than 25 wineries under his Foley Family Wines umbrella - including Ferrari-Carano, which he purchased in June for around $250 million. He also owns the Vegas Golden Knights professional hockey team. Foley-Johnson is one of the jewels of his wine empire, located in Napa Valley’s renowned Rutherford district, also home to wineries like Staglin, Frog’s Leap, Caymus and Inglenook.
The confirmation of a coronavirus case is the realization of one of Wine Country’s worst nightmares. After remaining closed for several months following statewide orders in March, Napa County wineries were allowed to reopen their tasting rooms in June. But many vintners whose businesses depend heavily on tasting room revenue criticized the state’s reopening plan.
One winery owner even filed a lawsuit against Gov. Gavin Newsom. Frustrations grew when the state announced in mid-July that wineries must cease indoor tastings. Now, those vintners may have to reassess their stance.
Foley-Johnson’s predicament will feel familiar to many Bay Area restaurants that have had to close after employees tested positive for the virus. There’s no requirement for businesses to announce when there’s been a positive test case, but some restaurant owners noted to The Chronicle that customers appreciate the transparency.
The winery did not name a planned date for reopening, but said in its Instagram post that it would welcome back visitors “when deemed safe and appropriate to do so.”
Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicle’s wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob
July 29, 2020 at 12:33AM
https://ift.tt/39CSCnJ
Napa’s Foley-Johnson Winery closes after worker tests positive for the coronavirus - San Francisco Chronicle
https://ift.tt/31lUVcw
Wine
No comments:
Post a Comment