Sonoma/Napa Winery News

 Current happenings, mostly related to the slowdown in wine visitation.

Tasting Fees: Many Wineries Are Getting It

Tasting room fees have doubled since 2012. Tasting room traffic is way down. Coincidence?

If We Lose Wineries During the Downturn

California's wine industry experienced explosive growth in the 2010-2020 timeframe, adding roughly 1,500 wineries between 2010 and 2020 alone. Since the mid-1990s the number of wineries in America has been on a steep climb.

Happy Hour at the Winery

image from sonomamag.com

 

More innovation is being used to attract more foot traffic. Several Sonoma and Napa wineries are hosting evening happy hours featuring wines by the glass, small bites, and even a food truck. Grab some friends, then head over, and grab a glass of wine.

Last year, a nearby Sonoma Valley winery did this. I went once, but their by-the-glass prices kept me from going back a second time. I'm going to check it out again this year. It's a great idea for the summer if done right.

Wineries Embrace Happy Hour from Sonoma Magazine. 

 

The Coming of Enhanced Wine Tourism

Wine tourism has always meant visiting wineries, tasting wines, maybe buying, and moving on. Sometimes there might be a look at the wine production facility. This is changing.

Napa Being All Friendly

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I say this halfway joking.

The Rise and Fall of Kenwood Vineyards

Kenwood Vineyards, located in the village of Kenwood in Sonoma Valley, has been a fixture of Sonoma County winemaking for over 50 years. The site has been home to winemaking for 120 years.

2025 California Grape Crush Report

 The state agriculture department has released the 2025 Preliminary Grape Crush Report. Following are a few highlights.

Large and Small, the Two Wine Industries

Looking at the differences in large vs. small wineries we'll focus on what's typical for each. Large ones are usually owned by corporations or at least have corporate-like structures. Small are family owned and operated. They are different in many ways.

Wine Regions Experiencing Growth

It's not entirely doom and gloom for the American wine biz. There are areas that are adding vineyards and have new wineries planned. Here's a few of them.

Beautiful Wineries of Sonoma County

Some of the most eye-catching wineries in the county are listed below. I don't make any claim to these being the most beautiful as beauty is in the eye of the beholder / beer holder / Chardonnay holder. 

Some are more for the architecture, some for the surrounding landscape, some have artwork. 

Wine Industry Report for 2026

The Silicon Valley Bank's Wine Division puts out an annual report on the financial state of the American wine industry. The data comes from wineries returning a survey of their past year's performance. Their State of the US Wine Industry report is required reading for many in the wine business. Below are a few key points. Go here and click on Download Now to see the full report.

Veteran-Owned Wineries

For Veterans' Day, the following are veteran-owned wineries in California. Probably not a complete list, but what I could find online.

The 2025 Grape Harvest Wraps Up

It's just about the end of the harvest for everyone, though there's still plenty to do in the cellar. So, how do things looks this year for North Coast wine grapes?

Multi-Generational Sonoma Family Wineries

From Grape Collective, an industry online news website, the author of the "Keeping It in the Family" article talks with six independent family wineries about the past and future generations in their family businesses. Rafanelli and Rochioli are the two better-known ones of the six wineries. Enjoy learning what it's like to run a small winery with family members. 

Late autumn at Hawley Winery
image from Grape Collective

Click on the link below

Keeping It in the Family: Next Generation Successes in Sonoma County

Direct URL is https://www.grapecollective.com

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Sonoma County For Zinfandel Lovers

Sonoma County's premier grape isn't Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. It's actually Zinfandel. No, it isn't the most-planted or most-famous wine from Sonoma, but it's still on top because nobody does Zin like Sonoma County.

Wine Tasting in Sonoma County on Foot

Visitors often wonder about the best way to experience the wineries with worrying about getting a DUI. Some ways are having a DD, hire a driver at a significant expense, share tastings with your SO, and spitting. Perhaps a better way to enjoy a day of wine tasting is on foot. There are some places you can do that. It's called one-stop sipping.   :)

Wineries Moving Into Distillation

 If you can't beat 'em ...

Choosing Sonoma County Wineries to Visit

This is the best list I've seen to help someone choose where to go for wine tasting in Sonoma County. A lot of work went into the article. While it's not absolutely all-inclusive, it has over 120 recommendations. Great job!

MacRostie Winery, Russian River Valley
image from sonomamag.com

The Ultimate Guide to Sonoma Tasting Rooms from Sonoma Magazine

Retrenching in the Wine Biz

Some of the major players in the industry are reducing their footprint in the wine business. This is a sign of uncertainty in the future of the wine market.