Historical Larson Family Winery forced to shut down temporarily due to fire

SONOMA, Calif. - The Larson Family Winery in Sonoma County was forced to close its tasting room "until further notice" after it caught fire, the winery announced. 

The barn-turned-tasting room caught fire around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, the winery wrote in a statement. The fire was put out in roughly 15-20 minutes by the Schell-Vista fire crew, followed by three hours of cleaning up, according to the Sonoma Index-Tribune. 

Photos from the Schell-Vista fire protection district show most goods inside the barn completely destroyed by the fire, with only the building standing. 

The fire brought "irreparable damage" to the Larson Family Winery with many historic memorabilia destroyed. (Photo Credit: Schell-Vista Fire Protection District)

"We are devastated by the loss of our business and priceless historic Sonoma Rodeo and Larson Family memorabilia," stated the winery. 

Before the Larson family planted their first vineyard in 1978, the land was once "the home of the largest rodeo in Northern California from 1928 to 1950s," according to the winery's website. 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, officials said. 

While the tasting room will be temporarily closed, the winery stated that they still hope to continue their eCommerce and Wine Club orders as normal.