California wineries have been paddling against a tough current—soft sales, thinner tourism, and a consumer base that’s wary of $100 tasting flights and velvet ropes. Enter Assembly Bill 720, a law that finally lets wineries host tastings and events in their actual vineyards. It’s a move that, frankly, tastes like common sense.
As reported by Jess Lander in the San Francisco Chronicle, AB720 went into effect Jan. 1 and allows growers who also make wine to host up to 36 vineyard tasting events per year. For small, family-run labels without a fancy tasting room or bonded facility, this is oxygen. Elise Nerlove of Elkhorn Peak Cellars nailed the vibe when she said, “the wine industry begins with the soil.” — Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle
That’s the whole point of vineyard tastings: a true soil-to-glass experience. Elana Hill of Prime Solum gets it, too. For many visitors, seeing the vines where their wine was born is, in her words, “It’s a moving and memorable experience.” — Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle
Of course, there are caveats. AB720 applies to wineries that own or control a vineyard. Plenty of small producers don’t—land is pricey, and many buy fruit from growers. The workaround? Lease agreements that let those producers use a vineyard for events. Blair Guthrie of Stewart Cellars and Sonoma’s Montecillo Vineyard is exploring exactly that, aiming to open the gates so his small winery clients can host groups without the wallet-busting logistics.
Local rules also matter, and Napa County initially threw some cold water on the party—proposing strict limits like 15-person caps and mandatory transportation plans. After industry pushback (yes, even the big kids like Treasury Wine Estates weighed in), Napa eased off, allowing up to 49 guests and scrapping the transport requirement. Why the pressure? Treasury cited a 13% drop in September visitation and a rise in demand for “hands-on experiences.” — Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle
But here’s the twist: Napa’s interpretation of “adjacent” creates a major split. If your winery sits on the same parcel as your vineyard—common for Napa estates—you still can’t host among the vines. Only brands with vineyards on separate sites can use AB720. That’s a head-scratcher, especially for small estate producers who could deliver amazing, low-impact tastings right where the grapes grow.
The Wine Institute disagrees with Napa’s read. As Tim Schmelzer put it, AB720 was intended to “cover any vineyard next to the licensed premises.” — Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle. In other words, if you own or control the vineyard and it’s next to your winery, you should be good. Sonoma County is still ironing out its plan, and early signals suggest they’re striving for a more practical approach.
Zooming out, this law is about survival—and authenticity. Direct-to-consumer is the lifeblood for small wineries, and Mike Martini underscored it: “Many people don’t realize how important direct-to-consumer sales are in the wine business, especially for small producers.” — Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle. Vineyard tastings aren’t just Instagram fodder; they’re a way to teach, connect, and sell without the overhead of a full-blown hospitality palace.
Why should you care as a drinker? Because vineyard tastings tend to be more personal and less performative. You meet growers. You taste fruit off the vine during harvest. You catch the wind, the slope, the soil beneath your boots—and then taste it in the glass. It’s more farm, less velvet rope. Which is exactly what many of us are craving.
AB720 won’t fix everything. Not all wineries will qualify, and county-by-county implementation may mean more hoops than a high school gym. Napa’s stance could sideline some of the region’s most compelling estate experiences. But if Sonoma and other counties lean into the spirit of the law, we could see a new wave of accessible, education-forward tastings—especially from smaller producers who’ve been fenced out of the hospitality game.
My take: vineyard tastings should be the rule, not the exception. Let wineries show their work where it happens. Keep guest counts reasonable, protect the land, and require good neighbor policies. But don’t over-engineer the magic out of it. Wine is farming first, romance second, and sales third. Get people closer to the source and the rest tends to follow—grape expectations included.
If you’re planning a Wine Country trip this year, watch for vineyard experiences popping up—particularly in Sonoma and among Napa’s micro-winery and small-grower circles. With AB720, California might finally be letting wineries do what they do best: tell the story in the place where it starts.
Original reporting by Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle.
Source: https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/tasting-event-vineyard-law-21259758.php
