The preliminary injunction, issued Thursday, effectively shuts down the Yountville-based winery’s public-facing operations.
EDWARD BOOTH | Press Democrat |
A Napa County judge has ordered Hoopes Vineyard Winery, just outside Yountville, to immediately halt unpermitted tastings, tours and other activities that run afoul of county regulations— marking the latest turn in a protracted legal battle over land-use rules in Wine Country.
The preliminary injunction, issued Thursday by Napa County Superior Court,effectively shuts down the winery’s public-facing operations, which officials have argued exceeded the bounds of a historic exemption granted to some of the region’s oldest small wineries.
In November, a judge determined that Hoopes Vineyard had been operating beyond its permit in violation of county code, though a final ruling in the case remains pending.
The injunction explicitly bans the winery and its affiliates from:
- Hosting wine tastings, restricting consumption to the winery’s owners and employees.
- Conducting public tours of the property.
- Selling wine on-site to the public, including bottles not produced at Hoopes.
- Offering food service of any kind to visitors.
- Marketing unpermitted activities, including public social events.
- Selling retail merchandise, from apparel to home goods.
- Allowing public gatherings or occupancy in unauthorized spaces, including storage buildings and recreational vehicles on the property.
- Engaging in commercial animal-keeping unless directly tied to the sale of products derived from those animals.
Spencer Hoopes, founder of the winery, said in an email that he considered some of the prohibited activities — such as the marketing of wine item — to be vague or subjective.
The county has long contended that Hoopes Vineyard flouted zoning laws designed to preserve Napa’s agricultural character. Thursday’s order grants officials the enforcement power they had sought.
The court’s ruling “grants the prohibitory provisions we requested, ensuring compliance with existing laws,” county spokesperson Linda Weinreich said in a statement. While Hoopes Vineyard is expected to challenge the decision, Weinreich said Napa County is prepared to defend the injunction.
“Nothing in the order prevents Hoopes from applying for the appropriate permits to obtain any entitlements they may seek,” Weinreich said. “And the County continues to encourage Hoopes to obtain such permits.”