Twister tears up Maryland winery

Rare tornado strikes Linganore, state's largest producer
 

Mount Airy, Md.—A freakish tornado ripped roofs off structures and hurled debris over a large radius at Linganore Winecellars on the evening of April 16. A weekend barrage of twisters killed upwards of 40 people in several southern states; fortunately no one was at the winery. The tasting room closed at 7 p.m., and the tornado struck an hour later. The winemaker’s parents, who live on the grounds, were out of town.

Winemaker/president Anthony Aellen discovered the damage Sunday morning. “What is that metal beside the lane?” he asked himself as he drove to work. “What are those sticks?” As he got closer to the winery, he realized the metal was sections of roofing, and the “sticks” were 2x4s. “The metal was strewn an eighth of a mile from the winery,” he told Wines & Vines.

Approaching the winery, he realized that his processing facility, tank room and a tractor shed were all sans roofs, baring presses, tanks and equipment to the elements. Oddly, none of the gear was damaged, “Everything went UP,” Aellen explained. On the advice of his insurance agent, he called the National Weather Service (NWS), which sent an emergency response team to assay the situation. “Yup, it was a tornado,” the team told Aellen. They pegged it as a Force 1 twister, with winds of 90 to 100mph.

Pieces of roofing and lumber littered the property at Linganore Winecellars following a tornado.

With missing roofs and roll-up doors, and buildings knocked out-of-square, Aellen estimated his losses at around $300,000. He told Wines & Vines that he is not sure whether his insurance covers tornados, since they are so rare in Maryland. “We’ve been here since 1972, and it’s the first we’ve experienced,” he said. An insurance adjuster will visit tomorrow, but since he is expecting rain, Aellen has already got roofers at work.

The grape-processing facility at Linganore Winecellars now has an unwanted sunroof thanks to a tornado that struck the winery this weekend.

Aellen said that no wine was lost, but he had yet to check on his 60 acres of mostly hybrid grapevines. “The people from the NWS said that the highest-velocity winds start at 20-30 feet above the ground, and my vines are trained on 6-foot-high wire cordons,” he explained. Buds are just beginning to swell in his vineyards.

More than they bargained for?
In an improbable twist of fate, scant months ago the winery announced on its website, “As of Feb.1, 2011, 100% of the electricity used at the winery will be generated from wind power….We have now made the commitment to green energy by buying all of our electricity from wind-generated sources.”

Despite the havoc, Aellen seemed in surprisingly good spirits, and the tasting room, which was not damaged, did a whirlwind business Sunday. “We were packed after the storm; it was so rare for this part of the world,” he said. Some curious visitors commented on his cheerful demeanor: “You’re not too upset.” His response: “Nobody died. It’s wood and steel. It can all be rebuilt.”

Founded by the Aellen family in 1976, Linganore has increased production about 20% per year since 1989, attaining an estimated 47,000 cases of the 2010 vintage, Aellen reported. When state auditors paid their annual visit last year, one commented, “There are 50 wineries in Maryland, but you make 50% of the state’s wine.” (WinesVinesDATA currently lists 46 licensed wineries).

About 50% of Linganore’s production is sold direct-to-consumers at the popular destination winery (there is no wine club). “We’re distributed nationwide….as long as you live in Maryland,” Aellen said.

“It’s neat,” he commented about the unprecedented storm. “People don’t appreciate the power of nature. This puts you in perspective.

“When the weather’s good, you drink wine. When the weather’s bad, you drink wine.”