Recently, the NVV’s Board of Directors voiced their support for smaller wineries seeking a streamlined process for obtaining a Winery Use Permit through Napa County, and topic that was originally brought up by Save the Family Farms. The NVV has consistently advocated for changes to ease arbitrary and unnecessary regulatory burdens on wineries, helping secure robust changes to the process in February 2020.This new vote represents explicit support for small family farms seeking to expand their current operations, while honoring the rules of the Winery Definition Ordinance.
Save the Family Farms is a group of growers that produce less than 5,000 gallons of wine at custom crush facilities. They are seeking to provide tastings and sell wines directly to consumers, and county regulations require a winery for that purpose. The Napa Valley Vintners Board of Directors supports the micro-winery effort, as long as it remains within the existing wine regulatory and land use framework.
Last week, the Napa County Board of Supervisors decided to schedule time at a future date to discuss micro-wineries, the issue brought forth by Save the Family Farms.
Read the letter NVV sent to Napa County to support this initiative.