BUSINESS JOURNAL

Sioux Falls owners' winery near earthquake epicenter

Jodi Schwan
jschwan@sfbusinessjournal.com

Dr. Vance Thompson spent Sunday surveying the damage at a winery he co-owns in Napa Valley.

Thompson and his wife, Jana, were in California when the magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck early Sunday.

He said by email that the quake "shook things pretty bad." The epicenter was close to a production facility for Jessup Cellars, which he owns with other partners including Dr. Dan Blue of Sanford Health.

Thompson said he's grateful his employees weren't hurt.

"Even though many of their homes were damaged they are all OK," he said.

Thompson owns Vance Thompson Vision in Sioux Falls.

Jessup Cellars has tasting rooms in Yountville and St. Helena, Calif. that Thompson said seemed to be structurally sound.

"Some lost wine and art fell off the walls," he said.

The winery near the epicenter in southern Napa was hit with a broken water main and flooding along with a gas leak.

Thompson said there was "a fair amount of wine lost from huge barrels flying off racks."

A power outage closed the business Sunday.