Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday to allow licensed wineries and vineyards that operate in Amador County open wine tasting rooms in agricultural areas of the county, on parcels at minimum 10 acres in size.

The ordinance would stop out-of-county master licensed wineries or vintners from opening secondary licensed sales facilities and tasting rooms in the agriculture zoned areas. Planner Heather Anderson said any out-of-county master licensed winery or vintner can still bring a tasting room into commercially zones areas. The facilities must remain primarily a tasting room, and the ordinance will not allow them to become gift shops.

Anderson said the Amador County Planning Commission voted March 8 to recommend Supervisor approval of the ordinance, which was written with the help of a Winery Committee formed in late 2009, made up of Supervisors Ted Novelli and Brian Oneto, plus three members each of the Amador Grape Growers Association, Amador Vintners Association, and public with knowledge of those industries.

Supervisors also authorized paying a fee of $2,044 to the California Department of Fish & Game, for it to issue a “No Effect Determination” on the ordinance. Each company that wants to open the tasting room would have to pay the same fee, Anderson said.

Oneto said he could see why California was recently named the worst state of the Union to do business. Supervisor Louis Boitano said Fish & Game is just looking for revenue money, and the “state should stop doing business this way or we won’t have any business.”

Vintner Jim Gullett of Vino Noceto Winery, a member of the Winery Committee, said the state requires that 50% of tasting room products must, in theory, be made by the master licensed winery. He said Scott Harvey Winery, with roots in Amador County, makes very little of his wine in the county, due to climactic issues. Gullett said certain styles of wine sell well in Amador “but don’t necessarily grow well here.”

Bruce Norton said owner of the old DeMill property, near Bantam Cellars and Nordquist, said “Scott Harvey buys a lot of grapes from Amador, including mine, and has been doing so for years.” Norton said the 10-acre rule was not consistent, and as a result, “I could have a winery and tasting room on my property, but not a tasting room.” He asked that the acreage requirement be changed from 10 to 5 acres. Oneto said the “driving force was to keep things more rural” with the 10-acre size limit.

Novelli said Anderson was “very instrumental” in helping the committee get through all of the hurdles in the ordinance work. He and Oneto acknowledged the help of the winemakers and vintners. Oneto said it was a good experience.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.