Tankhouses are as romantic a vineyard visage as the rows of grapes themselves. There’s a whimsical charm surrounding the old vineyard tankhouses with their angled walls. Long before piped irrigation, farmers pumped water from shallow wells using a windmillpowered pump that would force the water up into an elevated tank. Gravity would then provide the water pressure necessary to irrigate the fields.The open space under the tank tower was often enclosed to provide either shelter for animals, as a tool-shed or even a spare room.When piped water became available, the tankhouses were no longer needed.
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June Carey
