His son Tim, formerly the winemaker at Robert Mondavi Winery, had the curtain crash down on his own first act when the family lost control of the winery after it went public and was purchased by Constellation Brands, the creators of Wild Irish Rose, in 2004.
Mr Shears and Mr Bannon were one of a pair of two-man teams first to arrive at the flat after the fire broke out when a resident left a curtain resting on a lamp.