(PD) - Though 14 years ago, Bob Torres still vividly remembers the day he and other wine industry officials saw a demonstration at UC Berkeley’s earthquake simulator on the effects of a magnitude 7.4 temblor on a rack of wine barrels stacked six high.

In only a few seconds, the rack started swaying vigorously side to side before it toppled over and barrels flew out as 600-pound projectiles.

“It’s just frightening to think that mode of failure and the huge risk it carries during an earthquake,” said Torres, principal and senior vice president of operations at Trinchero Family Estates in St. Helena. “Just seeing it was enough, and that was only one stack of barrels.”

The lessons learned that day stayed with Torres as he worked to help fortify the safety at Trinchero’s five barrel rooms, such as ensuring that wine racks are no closer than 18 inches from walls and that stacks are not more than five barrels high. One of his barrel rooms in Napa has stronger, reinforced barrel racks that cost twice as much as the industry standard.

But fear gripped him after the magnitude 6.0 American Canyon earthquake that struck on Aug. 24, though Trinchero suffered minimal losses in its barrel rooms. What if the next quake is bigger, or strikes during the workday when a cellar crew is in the barrel room?

“We’re really going to go back and take a look at this. The one thing you don’t want to be is complacent,” Torres said.

Vintners across Wine Country are having the same soul-searching thoughts and conversations as Torres in the aftermath of the quake.

An initial survey showed 120 Napa County wine and agriculture businesses sustained damages totaling $48 million dollars, a figure that will rise as more lost inventory is tabulated. The damage was less than originally feared, and industry officials concede they caught a huge break because it occurred during the overnight shift on a Sunday, so no workers were in harm’s way, and many barrels were empty as winemakers prepared for this year’s harvest.