Christine Tittle | Jun 28, 2024

The recent denial of the La Colline winery appeal by the Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commission's disapproval of the Vida Valiente winery application (now on appeal), has triggered an astounding barrage of letters by wine industry spokespersons disparaging both the Board's and the Commission's decisions as "arbitrary and capricious" (Stu Smith), "not evidence based, and bowing to emotional appeals" (Michelle Benvenuto), or bowing to "the environmental-left crowd" (Mott). As usual, they are accompanied by inappropriate name-calling of concerned members of the public who are vested with no lesser rights to this county than the wine industry.

These attacks also accuse our governing bodies of, among other misconduct, violating provisions of the General Plan (attributed to the accusers' limited reading thereof) and that their decisions spell the demise of the wine industry in Napa County, allegedly causing it to move elsewhere, and sabotaging our very economy.

These disproportionate attacks, considering the small scope of these two winery disapprovals, prompted me to ask the County Planning Department for the number of winery production and visitor approvals from 2017 to 2023. Of note is that this period includes two devastating wildfires and the COVID pandemic. They also include what has disenfranchised a large section of the public, the approval of over 50 winery applicants who were forgiven -- even rewarded -- for violating their use permits. This alone is more than enough evidence of a wine-friendly -- many believe scandalously so -- government environment.

Here are the astounding numbers of approvals of the past seven years: additional gallons of production: 6,897,815; additional number of visitors: 1,330,735.

With the reported number of annual visitors in the Napa Valley at 3.85 million, the added visitors comprise an astounding 33% increase in just seven years! Considering what this means to infrastructure deterioration, to all our resources including water, all the above paid for by the public, not wineries, and to the traffic congestion imposed on all, it is gratitude rather than name-calling what the wine industry owes it.

While we are all keenly cognizant and thankful for its great contributions, it is time for the wine industry to return to its role of a good neighbor, respectful of the public's (not the "crowd's") right to a safe and high-quality environment rather than intimidating its way at all costs.

The recent Glass and Crystal fires at essentially the same location with the loss of structures and insurance policies on substandard, one-lane evacuation routes, dictate an "evidence-based" policy which places the safety of residents and visitors above any and all considerations in approving projects in our High Severity Fire Zones. So much so, that earlier this year, the state of California enacted Title 14 into law applicable throughout the state, which prohibits new, not replacement, development in such areas.

There are simply locations where development is inappropriate if it places the environment, or property or lives at increased risk.

NVR version 6/27/24: Are our supervisors truly anti-winery?

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