By Jess Lander | SF Chronicle |
Mitten Aghera pets one of his dogs at his and his wife Lindsay Hoopes’ small family winery, Hoopes Vineyard, in Napa in 2023. On Thursday, a judge ordered the winery to shut down its tasting room following a six-year legal battle with Napa County.
Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle
Six years into a contentious legal battle with Napa County, Hoopes Vineyard must immediately shut down its tasting room.
On Thursday, a judge granted a preliminary injunction against Hoopes, which prohibits the small winery from selling and serving wine from its premises and hosting events. It also forces the winery to relocate its animal sanctuary, a popular attraction for visiting families, within two weeks.
The injunction is the latest development in a lengthy, complicated feud between Napa County and Hoopes. In 2022, the county sued Hoopes and second-generation proprietor Lindsay Hoopes, claiming the winery wasn’t permitted to host tastings. Lindsay Hoopes believed the winery was grandfathered in due to an exemption granted to small wineries established before 1990, and last year, a judge ruled in the county’s favor. (Hoopes’ cross-complaint remains unresolved.) In January, Napa County requested a preliminary injunction — in addition to $8 million in penalties, attorney fees and other costs.
Lindsay Hoopes, who is on maternity leave, called the injunction “unconscionable” and “ridiculous.”
According to a statement from a Napa County spokesperson, the judge denied Linday Hoopes’ request to delay the order due to her intent to file an appeal. Outside of a court order, the injunction can only be lifted if Hoopes applies for a new use permit, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars. The injunction grants Napa County “full access” to Hoopes’ property “to conduct inspections to confirm compliance” without advanced notice.
“Nothing in the order prevents Hoopes from applying for the appropriate permits to obtain any entitlements they may seek,” a Napa County spokesperson said in a statement, “and the County continues to encourage Hoopes to obtain such permits.”
In January, Hoopes’ founder Spencer Hoopes told the Chronicle that the winery would have to close if forced to pay $8 million. Hoopes, alongside Napa’s Smith-Madrone and Summit Lake Vineyards, filed a separate lawsuit against Napa County in federal court citing constitutional rights violations. That case is ongoing.