Wine lovers, look away. Or better yet, have a drink.
Tragedy struck this morning in Napa and Sonoma, when trucks carrying freshly-harvested wine grapes separately spilled their loads onto roads in Healdsburg and Calistoga.
No collisions or injuries were reported. Except to the wine grapes, most of which were crushed beyond recognition. Their identities were not released, pending notification of next of vin.
Vehicles were reportedly sliding around on the dumped grapes on Highway 29 heading south into Napa Valley near Calistoga. Another spill slowed traffic on Healdsburg Avenue and Alexander Valley Road north of Healdsburg.
It’s harvest season in wine country — or “Crush,” as it’s called — so trucks loaded with grapes are criss-crossing Sonoma and Napa. The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports spills like this are not uncommon during harvest season.
If all this bad news has indeed driven you to drink, then we’ve saved the best news for the end. This weekend, the 2012 Sonoma Valley Crush is in full effect. 16 Sonoma County wineries are giving you a chance to jump into a real-life wine harvest.
A $35 tasting pass gives you access to harvest activities and tastings throughout Glen Ellen and Kenwood, while individual wineries are also hosting separate lunches and tours.
Cars crush California wine grapes http://t.co/2Rgl9vDD
Cars crush California wine grapes beyond recognition. Grapes not identified yet, pending notification of next of vin http://t.co/pjinDL5s
4-wheeling crush! This is one way to crush the grapes http://t.co/ZaYE6IOI
Look away… ugh…. http://t.co/XzdEO0Xm
Wine grapes crushed beyond recognition. Identification is pending notification of next of vin http://t.co/pjinDL5s #Wine #Sonoma #Napa
Their identities were not released, pending notification of next of vin. Cars #crush #California #wine #grapes http://t.co/rxi02ntj
Awesome MT: @sfbay #Cheers! @moondancecellar @VinoMuscardini @ParadiseRidge @WineTy @ValleyoftheMoon http://t.co/awqroVqq #wine #California
RT @sfbay: RT @sfbay: Cheers to @moondancecellar @VinoMuscardini @ParadiseRidge @WineTy @ValleyoftheMoon EnkiduWines, Family Wineries http://t.co/p …
RT @sfbay: RT @sfbay: Cheers to @Audelssa @DeerfieldRanch @ericrosswinery @2Kazual @KenwoodVineyard @LoxtonCellars @MayoFamilyWine http://t.co/pji …
Cheers to @moondancecellar @VinoMuscardini @ParadiseRidge @WineTy @ValleyoftheMoon EnkiduWines, Family Wineries http://t.co/pjinDL5s #wine
If tragic tales of roadkill wine grapes get you down, then cheer up at this weekend’s 2012 Sonoma Valley Crush festival http://t.co/pjinDL5s