Napa County looks at tweaking microwinery law to aid small family-run wineries
Napa County’s microwinery law, designed to help mom-and-pop grape growers host wine tastings, hasn’t been as big a hit as some had hoped.
The county has approved two microwineries during a three-year pilot program. Some who advocated for the law have yet to file applications, saying formidable hurdles remain.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors favored extending the program beyond its May 5 sunset date, but with changes. Perhaps microwineries could produce more wine and host more visitors.
It’s important, particularly now, to find ways to support small producers in the Napa Valley, board chair Anne Cottrell said.
County staff will work with microwinery proponents and others on potential changes to the microwinery law. Proposals would likely go to the Planning Commission and then to the Board of Supervisors, with that May 5 sunset date being extended in the meantime.
“We have to listen to the people who have the lived experience,” Supervisor Liz Alessio said.
The group Save the Family Farms came to the Board of Supervisors in 2019 asking that grape growers producing small amounts of wine offsite be allowed to hold tastings at their vineyards. The original idea even called for allowing tastings at picnic tables.
But county laws to protect agriculture require farmers to have a winery to hold tastings. Supervisors in the past have been unwilling to revisit that requirement. One goal is to prevent someone from building what is merely a visitor center in an agricultural area.
The microwinery law was an attempt to cut through red tape in order to make building the smallest of wineries more affordable for small, family-owned grape-growing operations.
A microwinery must produce no more than 5,000 gallons of wine annually and ferment at least 201 gallons on the premises. It can generate no more than 10 daily round trips. At least 75% of the grapes used in on-site fermentation must be grown on the property or adjacent properties with the same owner.
Microwinery applicants can go before the county’s zoning administrator instead of the Planning Commission. They’ve paid the county an average permit cost of $14,995, compared to $22,723 for a new, full-fledged winery, according to a county report.
That’s only a fraction of the expenses, however. For example, a microwinery applicant might have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars widening a long driveway to meet California’s fire safety road standards. There are also building costs.
Elise Nerlove, the vice president of Save the Family Farms, said a $7,000 saving on what can be a $1 million investment is negligible.
Nerlove and her family want to have a microwinery at their vineyard near Jameson Canyon in the south county. They have yet to apply as they work on infrastructure issues such as meeting road requirements.
“It’s still a tough process,” Nerlove said. “We’re still working with the county to see if we can (create) some relief for the small guys.”
County staff proposed doubling the allowed maximum production and daily round trips for microwineries, which could bring in more revenue. Nerlove said applications for bigger, busier microwineries could also trigger more regulations.
What are needed are right-sized regulations to fit small businesses, as opposed to making small businesses grow to fit with existing regulations, Nerlove said during a break in the supervisors’ meeting.
Supervisors directed staff to focus on regulations that the county controls. A staff report said regulatory requirements, particularly from the state, continue to tighten, further burdening small, family-owned farms.
Napa County approved its first microwinery, Goel Estate Vineyards, in October 2023. The property is located in the Carneros area in southern Napa County.
It approved its only other microwinery, Chaix, in April 2024. Chaix is located in the Napa Valley’s Rutherford area.
In 2024, applicant John Chaix said his site was a prime candidate for a microwinery. The property is near Highway 29, and he didn’t face such expenses as widening a long expanse of roadway to meet state fire safety access standards.
The county’s planning project website shows that Schlatter Family Estate, Battuello Vineyards, and Stewart Ranch have filed microwinery applications.
“I do find the program to be successful — not to say we can’t continually look at how we make improvements,” Supervisor Belia Ramos said.