The mounting tension in the Napa County wine world has reached a boiling point. On Thursday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that three Napa Valley wineries are suing Napa County over alleged overregulation. Summit Lake Vineyard, Smith-Madrone Winery, and Hoopes Vineyard have also accused the county of violating nearly a dozen constitutional rights.
In the 60-page complaint filed in California’s Northern District Court, the wineries accuse the county’s policies of being “vague,” “ambiguous,” and costing them millions of dollars in lost profits. Napa County’s deputy county executive officer for communications Holly Dawson told the Chronicle that “the county has not yet been formally served with the complaint, which was released to the media prior to our review. As such, we are unable to comment on a document we have not seen.”
