Napa Valley wineries have been getting some stiff competitors from the county to the north as of late, with Sonoma County tasting rooms seeing way more guests maintaining sommeliers on the job.
The 2026 Tasting Room Survey Report discovered that there was a smaller decline in foot site visitors at wineries in California than in earlier years, in line with Wine Enterprise Month-to-month.
Whereas the information for the wine business as a complete continues to be not nice, a current report gave a glimmer of hope that issues within the enterprise aren’t as crushing as they have been a 12 months in the past, at the least in Sonoma.
The report checked out visitation knowledge for greater than 11,000 wineries throughout the county. The outcomes confirmed that tasting room site visitors dropped final 12 months in each Sonoma County and Napa Valley.
Nevertheless, Sonoma’s was far much less worse. Napa was down by 18% in 2025 in comparison with the earlier 12 months, whereas Sonoma was solely down 8%.
Wineries like Caddis Vineyard have seen issues enhance at their Sonoma Plaza tasting room in comparison with the earlier years.
Pointing to the rollercoaster the enterprise has skilled for the reason that debut of the tasting room proper earlier than the pandemic shut down the world in 2020, co-owner Chris Sorensen stated dips aren’t as dangerous as they as soon as have been.
“I’ve put a whole lot of effort into studying find out how to construct and keep buyer relationships, and that’s made an actual distinction for our enterprise,” Chris Sorensen instructed the Press Democrat.
“The largest problem now’s predicting when individuals will present up. That has grow to be very unpredictable, which might make planning tough.”
The variety of American adults who say they eat alcohol has fallen to 54%, in line with an August 2025 Gallup ballot, a problem the wine business continues to navigate.
Kim Stare Wallace, the president and second-generation proprietor at Dry Creek Winery, one other vineyard within the county, stated they’re discovering inventive methods to carry individuals in.
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“Persons are being extra selective in what they buy, however they’re nonetheless prepared to spend cash on high quality wine and experiences that really feel particular,” Wallace instructed the outlet.
“We’ve seen sturdy curiosity in our restricted releases and packages that give them a purpose to return again and take a look at one thing new.”
In the meantime issues are extra bleak for the wine business in Napa, the place foot site visitors dropped sharply from the expansion of three% it reported in 2024, the outlet famous.
Regardless of fewer guests to its tasting room, Mike Desilets, operations supervisor at Titus Vineyards in St. Helena, stated enterprise is sweet.
“Tasting room site visitors has been pretty flat, however those that do go to spend extra,” he instructed the outlet. “One new method we’re attempting is providing one-day wine membership perks to accomplice wineries.”
“We’re unsure in regards to the long-term good points, however prospects are very enthusiastic about it.”
One of many causes for various figures between the counties may very well be the large value for wine-lovers to pattern the products.
In Sonoma county, a median wine tasting flight will run an individual $40 {dollars} a head, with speciality experiences leaping to $90, a soar of 44% in comparison with 2024, the report famous.
Nevertheless, these out for a tasty wine expertise in Napa Valley can count on to pay a median value for a wine flight of $75, up 15% from a 12 months in the past. And experiences that supply specials can run a whopping common of $150 a head.
On high of the upper value of dwelling within the state, California wineries should pay employees a complete lot extra in an effort to run these tasting rooms.
The Wine report discovered that the median hourly wage for workers in Napa prices $26 in 2025, in comparison with the $20 nationwide common.
The Publish reached out to Sonoma and Napa Valley wine business for additional remark.
