A Napa County Superior Court judge decided the Smith-Madrone and Summit Lake wineries can’t join the legal tussle between Napa County and Hoopes winery over the county’s winery rules.
Napa County Superior Court Judge Mark Boessenecker on Nov. 28 ruled that Smith-Madrone and Summit Lake Vineyards and Winery LLC could not intervene and join the ongoing lawsuit.
Napa County has spent more than $830,000 on outside counsel on its lawsuit against Hoopes Vineyard as of the end of September, according to the county.
A legal battle over whether the Hoopes Vineyard winery or Napa County has gone rogue in interpreting county regulations — and whether some of those rules are unconstitutional — has taken new turns.
A small group of wineries in Napa County are banding together to fight Napa County’s contention that they do not qualify for on-site wine tasting.
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