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FEBRU AR Y NEWS Headlines Winemaker Michael Terrien and others are developing proposals for a winery in a downtown Napa landmark, the Borreo Building. Wineries Move Into Downtown Napa N apa, Calif.—Napa County has implemented stringent laws to protect and maintain its agricul- tural heritage (primarily wine- grape vines), but those laws don't extend to wineries located in all of Napa County's five cities. Now, some wineries are starting to take advantage of that loophole to of- fer wine experiences unique to the county, though common elsewhere. Specifically, Napa County bans inns, restaurants, weddings, concerts and most events unrelated to wine marketing. Appointments are required even for tastings at newer wineries. The county has been encouraging new winery production facilities in existing areas zoned for industry (some outside cities) to avoid removing land from agriculture and deflect excessive congestion in the protected area, but those wineries are mostly south of Napa, not downtown. At present, only a few wineries produce wine in downtown Napa, although it contains more than a dozen tasting rooms. Venoce/20 Rows winery occupies a space that once held Robert Craig Winery near downtown, only two blocks from the Westin Verasa hotel and the Napa Valley Wine 14 Wines & Vines FeBRUARY 2012 Relaxed rules offer options for winemakers, buyers Train Station. In addition to making wine, the winery has a tasting room open without appointment and hosts periodic concerts. Marketta Fourmeaux, the celebrated winemaker who once owned Chateau Potelle Winery with her ex-husband, operates a tiny commercial winery in the basement of the Victorian home she occupies in Old Town Napa, but she can't have a tasting room in her residential neighborhood. Winemaker Michael Terrien and others winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "downtown Napa." are developing proposals for a winery in a downtown landmark, the Borreo Building. Business partners Laina Brown and Elaine St. Clair are taking operations to a whole new level with St. Clair Brown Winery. The urban winery one building away from Vinoce will also include a microbrewery, restaurant, produce garden, greenhouse and café with picnic tables. The winery itself has a permit for 45,000 gallons, but Brown said it will start far smaller. She said the city of Napa has been very cooperative in helping them set up the venture. The partners hope to open St. Clair Brown Winery around April 1. —Paul Franson NEWS BY TE S Fort Ross TTB APPROvES AND ExPANDS AvAS T he Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau established three new AVAs and expanded the Russian River Valley and Northern Sonoma AVAs. The new AVAs include the Fort Ross- Seaview AVA, encom- passing 27,500 acres overlooking the Pa- cific Ocean, within the Sonoma Coast and North Coast AVAs. Naches Heights viticul- tural area includes 13,254 acres in Yakima County, Wash., within the Columbia Valley AVA. In southern Napa County, within the Napa Valley and North Coast viticultural ar- eas, 11,075-acre Coombsville became the valley's 16th AVA. winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "Naches Heights." COUNTy'S NEW WINERy RULES T he Sacramento County (Calif.) Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a new winery ordinance Dec. 14 to streamline the permitting process and promote agricultural economic development and tourism. The ordi- nance defines "small" wineries as those with annual production up to 15,000 cases and a maximum tasting room size of 1,500 square feet. "Large" wineries are those with annual production of more than 15,000 cases. yAkIMA COUNTy TO INSTALL SIGNS V isitors to Washington's Yakima County wine country will see new white signs with black lettering directing them to some 30 wineries. The signs will supplement high- way signage and raise awareness of smaller wineries that aren't eligible for state-issued blue signs. Wineries open as few as 600 hours per year can apply for signage, which is supported by $70,000 in economic de- velopment funding from the county.