Fireplace That Burn Wood

[buckabucka]

I just looked up the winery that inspired us, and it has sold to a Chinese firm! It is a cool place. This is the entrance:

And the back deck:

 

[digitS']

Ya know, I might have been there once.

Years ago.

Or! It could just be that most everything looks like that after I've been drinking wine ...

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

Bucka, where is this winery? I've never seen it so I'm guessing it's not in Napa or Sonoma?

Mary

 

[flowerweaver]

Just lovely, Bucka!

Our old house fire place has something called heatilators (sp?) that the previous owner said never worked. They are four square grilles on both sides of the fireplace, presumably 65-70 years old. Sure enough, they did not work even after a chimney cleaning until one day we had a fire going and a huge crunch sounded inside and heat started pouring out! We never could figure out what that sound was, but we were glad it fixed itself.

I've heard that if your chimney is not taller than your highest roof that it will not draft well; ours isn't and doesn't. We always have to crack one nearby window and preheat the fireplace with flaming newspaper before lighting the fire.

 

[buckabucka]

@ninnymary , Quixote is in the Stag's Leap region of Napa. We had read about it in the NYTimes, and told my sister before our visit (she's in San Rafael). I had not been to California in years (back when wineries were free), so when I found out tickets were $25 per person, I said forget it. But my sister bought tickets anyway.

After my glasses of wine, I thought it was well worth it! We had a private tour of the building, and then all sat around a big dining room table for wine tasting. They served really good hunks of Parmesan cheese and rustic crackers. We were there for a long time. And of course, if we hadn't gone, our masonry heater might just be painted a flat color with a boring floor! The article about transfer of ownership (recently) I found here: http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/50293

@flowerweaver , I wonder if your fireplace has some kind of guillotine that crunched open (or closed). We have a guillotine that greatly slows air going up the chimney (once the fire is reduced to coals), plus a valve that forces the air down and through channels in the masonry (that you turn once the fire gets hot).

 

[journey11]

Wow, buckabucka, that's amazing! Your DH could make a very nice living with that kind of craftsmanship, in the right area of the country.