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Commission agrees vintners can import wine

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Ramona boutique winery owners seeking the ability to source bulk wine from outside the county found an understanding member on the county Planning Commission.

Draft amendments to San Diego County’s Tiered Winery Ordinance went before the county commissioners Feb. 5. The proposed changes, meant to resolve discrepancies and provide clarification, added the allowance for boutique wineries to source wine from within San Diego County but continued to prohibit importing from outside the county, to opposition from several Ramona vintners.

“It’s a supplement to our business,” said Micole Moore, co-owner of Ramona Ranch Vineyard and Winery and president of the Ramona Valley Vineyard Association.

Moore said being able to import bulk wine gives local wineries an option if it is a bad production year.

Other reasons vintners gave is that they cannot grow white grapes but want to be able to serve white wine, and there is a lack of grapes to purchase in the county.

“I really don’t have a problem with importing 25 percent wine,” said Commissioner Peder Norby, who acknowledged he is an amateur winemaker.

Norby said he did not see any difference between importing up to 25 percent grapes and juice as proposed in the amendments, versus importing wine.

Norby’s motion to accept the amendments and allow the boutique tier up to 25 percent importation of bulk wine was approved by the commission 4-1 with Michael Beck opposed. Commissioners David Pallinger and Douglas Barnhart were absent.

County Planning and Development Services staff and county counsel will have to check the ordinance’s certified environmental impact report (EIR) to make sure such a provision will not call for amending and recirculating it.

Jeopardizing the EIR, which held up to a legal challenge, has been a particular concern of some vintners.

In opposing the outside sourcing provision, Beck said the idea behind the ordinance was to expand an industry in the county, and growing grapes should be encouraged. When Planning Commission Chair Bryan Woods, who represents Ramona and other District 2 communities, commented that vines have to mature before they are ready to make wine, Beck said any agricultural venture requires time. Winery owners seeking less restrictions can “tier up,” he noted.

The amendments allow the small winery tier, which requires an administrative permit, to import wine. The current ordinance does not restrict wineries with major use permits from sourcing wine.

Hosting and advertising public events at boutique wineries, which is not allowed, has also been an issue and has lead to complaints. Beck disagreed with a suggestion by Norby to establish that a gathering of 20 people or less would not constitute an event, saying that could create an enforcement issue. Boutique wineries can hold up to six community events per year, but only by obtaining applicable licensing through the sheriff’s department.

At times during the hearing divisions among wineries were evident.

“The only complaints that are being filed are by fellow winemakers,” said Elaine Lyttleton, co-owner of Hatfield Creek Vineyards. “We’ve got five children who are not playing nice in the sandbox.”

“What we see here is...the lack of enforcement,” said Carolyn Harris, co-owner of Chuparosa Vineyards and vice president/general counsel of the Ramona Valley Winery Association.

Harris noted that she was involved in the development of the winery ordinance that was adopted by the county supervisors in 2010, and when it was legally challenged, it was found to be sound.

Enforcement and monitoring of wineries to assure they are following the regulations was questioned by commissioners.

The draft amended ordinance is expected to go to the supervisors on March 16.

Some of the amendments that were included were recommendations by the Ramona Community Planning Group, which set up an ad hoc committee, chaired by Paul Stykel, that initiated a compromise among local winery owners.

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