Discover
the Treasures of Carpe Vino's Wine Mine While
most visitors to Carpe Vino are genuinely impressed with the renovation of the
Union Saloon, most jaws drop when people are invited to view the ancient stone
building in the rear. Exiting
the main structure, which we believe was built in 1855, you enter a narrow passage
that leads immediately to what we now refer to as the "Wine Mine." This
is a simple storeroom built into the side of the hill behind Carpe Vino. There
is no street access to this area. To the immediate left is a fence that separates
us from the patio of the California Club (an old honky tonk and biker bar); to
the right is the brick wall of the neighboring storefront. We
cannot confirm it, but we believe the Wine Mine may be the oldest building in
Old Town Auburn, constructed in about 1850 by Chinese laborers. It was likely
erected before the main building, otherwise building materials would have been
carried through the saloon. Chinese labor would likely have been used for construction,
because they did all the heavy lifting in those days. Another
possibility, according to research by volunteers working for the Placer County
Department of Museums, is the structure was built after the original building
to serve as an ice house for an oyster bar operated by a permutation of the Union
Saloon. Actual age not-with-standing, going inside is like entering a time warp.
On the right is an archeological cross section of Auburn: a cutaway of the building
next door butts up to a flow of hillside that cascades into the structure. An
ancient beam and post rot silently, thankfully supporting nothing but their own
weight. The other
three sides of the building are constructed of stone set in place by some long-dead
workmen, totally clueless their toil would provide shelter 150 years hence for
wines from California and around the world. The stones are large and incredibly
hard; they were probably sourced locally and some have been chiseled smooth. The
sandy material that is the mortar is so fragile, it crumbles with the slightest
touch. Wine
Mine was a Bonus Room The
building has suffered mightily over the years. In an attempt to strengthen the
exterior, the wall was skim-coated with concrete. Chunks have broken off, but
the building appears sound enough. A section of the back wall apparently collapsed
at some point because it has been shored up with huge posts and a concrete retaining
wall.  When
we leased our store, we weren't even aware of the little building in the back.
The space was a nightmare, though, crammed with junk and debris collected over
decades. Plus, the alleyway was filled with broken bricks, steel framing and other
materials junked when the façade was razed in 2001. All told, we removed
more than seven tons of waste from both buildings and the alley.
Once
the place was emptied, we couldn't believe how much more expansive the space appeared,
though the potential for creating a wine cellar environment was apparent the first
time we opened the heavy steel doors of the entrance. Our
rehab was unobtrusive. We cleaned the place as best we could, and then installed
R-30 encapsulated insulation in the ceiling joists that support a simple, corrugated
tin roof. To seal roof leaks, we screwed down the tin and covered seams with a
special waterproof tape. We pulled new wire though some existing electrical conduit
and then installed track lighting. The only other addition was building in shelves
utilizing the existing beams installed in the retaining wall. "What
the Heck Went on in Here?" Upon
entering the Wine Mine, most people just shake their heads. "What was this
used for?" is the most commonly asked question. The
short answer is we don't know. Beyond being a storage room, we've been told it
has seen uses as a morgue and a temporary cell for prisoners. Since it was a windowless
room behind a tin-horn bar for years, one can only imagine what went on in the
space. We do know
the Saloon was used as a mortuary at one point, so bodies could have kept in the
cool confines of the stone building. It works nicely for the wine! People
also want to know if we found anything valuable when we gutted the place. We never
uncovered any gold, but we did unearth a skull and jaw bone that we believe are
a cat's. We just found the usual stuff: square-headed nails, a horseshoe, old
bottles and some dishware. On the seamy side, we found several hypodermic syringes,
but no needles. | 
