The Computer That Saved a Vineyard

As helicopters rescued people and their pets off Atlas Peak, in Napa, Calif., one night in October, Christian Palmaz was nearby battling his own flames. His task: to save his family’s winery, Palmaz Vineyards.

Alone, he walked past the doomed acres of unpicked grapes to the winery, a series of caves dug 18 levels down into the side of Mount George, where 90 percent of the vineyard’s wine, more than $10 million worth, was fermenting in tanks. It typically requires constant human monitoring to maintain precise temperatures for the wine, among other things. Palmaz confirmed the backup generators were running and able to keep things cool, but as the tech guy without the savvy of his head winemaker, who was stuck on the other side of the fires, he had every reason to fear the wine could be ruined. By the time he checked the generators, the guest house was on fire. He hosed down embers as they flew off the frame.