Heather Holmes takes an in-depth look at the dispute between local wineries and Napa county.
The Constitution guarantees the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but what about the pursuit of customers?
KQED press conference coverage from November 8, 2023
Smith-Madrone & Summit Lake Wineries Join Hoopes Vineyards In Action Alleging Illegal Government Overreach Against Small Businesses
“We called it The Oasis because it’s in a bucolic setting,” said Hoopes, a Wine Country native and former San Francisco prosecutor. “I actually pulled out two acres of vines here to reintroduce biodiversity and animals into our regenerative farming practices.”
Napa’s endless vineyards have long been protected from the threat of other industry, but non-wine locals are biting back.
Smith-Madrone and Summit Lake wineries want in on the legal dispute between Napa County and Hoopes Vineyard winery, saying they have a stake in the outcome.
Small wineries Smith-Madrone and Summit Lake have joined Hoopes Vineyard in its countersuit against Napa County over regulation of on-site marketing by vintners with permits that predate a three-decade-old landmark local law.
Napa winery Hoopes Vineyard has been locked in a four-year legal battle with Napa County over its right to host wine tastings. Now, two additional Napa Valley wineries — Smith-Madrone and Summit Lake Vineyards — have joined Hoopes in a lawsuit that calls the county’s enforcement of winery regulations into question.
