Businessman charged in wine warehouse blaze

Rappaport is no longer representing Anderson. The federal public defender in Sacramento, Matthew Bockmon, declined to comment on the case Monday.

Ted Hall, president and co-owner of the Long Meadow Ranch winery, was pleased to hear about Monday's announcement. The winery's losses included two vintages of cabernet sauvignon and the entire "library" collection going back to the winery's first vintage of 1994.

Long Meadow had insurance, but that doesn't cover the more intangible effort and energy involved in re-establishing Long Meadow wines in restaurants and other markets, he said.

"What's really stupendous about this is the size of the loss," Hall said. "It'll take us years to recover because of our inability to remain in the marketplace."

More charges in separate case
Anderson also faces charges in a separate case involving his own wine-storage business, Sausalito Cellars.

He is awaiting trail on 10 felony counts of embezzlement related to missing wine valued at more than $1 million. Marin County prosecutors believe he sold rare bottles of wine to distributors from collections stored at his own facility.

That case is on hold because a further charge has been filed against him based on new evidence that was not admitted in the earlier hearing. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 27 that would bring the total embezzlement charges in the Marin County case to 11, Barry Borden, Marin County's chief deputy district attorney, said Monday.

Anderson is being represented in that case by Marin County Public Defender Eva Bennet, who did not immediately return a telephone call from The Associated Press.

‘Wiped out by an insane act’
Meanwhile, cleanup continues at the Wines Central warehouse, which likely will not reopen for another nine months.

Wines Central chief executive Jack Krystal said the fire ruined a lot of hard work for him and for the people who stored their wines there.

"These things don't just come out of the air," he said. "It takes a lot of sweat and a lot of time and a lot of effort to just be wiped out by an insane act."

Vallejo fire officials said total damage from the fire, including the value of the wine and the destruction of the warehouse, is between $200 million and $250 million.

MORE FROM CRIME & COURTS

Crime & courts Section Front

Suspect in cop-killings eludes police Man charged with killing wife, 2 daughters Competency hearing begins in Smart case Prisoner pulls gun on guards, escapes Ark. officer who Tasered girl, 10, is fired Ex-Ohio autoworker tried for 27,900 deaths   Cops: Sharpton daughter said she was in rush 3 boys held in attacks on redheads Man arrested in Salvation Army kettle theft Ore. anti-tax leader indicted on tax charges Crime & courts Section Front   Add Crime & courts headlines to your news reader: