Winery Destroyed by Blaze

Millions of dollars of wine has been destroyed in a fire at Crater Rim winery in Waipara Valley.

Tens of thousands of litres of wine, including its top quality pinot noir, was wrecked in the fire at the family-owned winery.

Crater Rim managing director Graeme Coles, who lives about 200 metres from the winery, said he heard bottles exploding after 11pm and when he went to investigate he saw the fire.

Passersby had already seen it and alerted the Fire Service, but the winery was 20 minutes from the nearest fire station.

Coles said the exact cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but it appeared to be an electrical fault.

"I'm sure you could imagine what it was like. It was all very surreal,'' Coles said about watching the winery go up in flames.

Tina Law - The Press
Last updated 15:10 13/11/2009

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