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Tag: wine country

  • Wine giant Gallo closing Napa Valley facility, laying off dozens of workers

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    California wine giant Gallo is set to close one of its Bay Area production facilities, laying off nearly 100 workers there and at four other wineries and tasting rooms in Napa and Sonoma counties, the company announced.

    Gallo, the largest wine producer in the world by volume, announced the cuts in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notice filed with the state. The company will permanently close its Ranch Winery in St. Helena, resulting in 56 workers losing their jobs. Other layoffs at the Louis M. Martini Winery and Orin Swift Tasting Room in St. Helena, and at J Vineyards and Frei Ranch in Healdsburg, will total another 37 positions.

    The notice was filed on Feb. 12 and will be effective by April 15.

    “GALLO is aligning parts of our operations with our long‑term business strategy to ensure we remain well‑positioned for future success,” a Gallo spokesperson told CBS News in an emailed statement. “As part of this process, we made the difficult decision to reduce certain Wine Country operations. These changes are driven by market dynamics, evolving consumer demand, and available capacity across our wineries.”

    All the affected employees will receive support, transition packages, and opportunities to explore other roles with the company, the spokesperson said.

    In September 2025, Gallo also closed its Courtside Winery, a production facility just north of Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County, resulting in the loss of 47 jobs. The spokesperson said the layoffs and closures “do not materially impact” its tasting rooms in Napa, Sonoma, and San Luis Obispo counties. 

    Founded in 1933 by brothers Ernest and Julio Gallo, the Modesto-based company is also the largest family-owned winery in the U.S. and owns over 100 different wine labels, including top-selling wines such as Apothic, Barefoot Cellars, Clos du Bois, Ecco Domani, MacMurray Estate, and Ravenswood. In 2024, the company changed its name from E&J Gallo Winery to simply Gallo to better reflect its portfolio, which includes spirits such as New Amsterdam vodka and gin, Camarena Tequila, and Diplomatico Rum.

    Gallo also owns ready-to-drink cocktail brands such as High Noon and Salt Point. In recent years, Gallo has sought to expand its premium wine offerings while consolidating some of its operations and selling or closing other facilities. 

    The latest changes to Gallo’s operations come as fewer Americans report drinking alcohol amid concerns that even moderate alcohol consumption may be harmful to one’s health. A Gallup survey in August 2025 found that 54% of adults in the U.S. drink alcoholic beverages, the lowest percentage in 90 years.

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  • ‘It’s like a homecoming for everybody’: Lodi Grape Festival celebrates decades of tradition

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    THE EXCITEMENT. GUYS HAVING FUN SAY YEEHAW! THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF THINGS TO DO OR SEE INSIDE THE GATES OF THE LODI GRAPE FESTIVAL. IT’S ACTUALLY A FAMILY TRADITION. WE’VE BEEN GOING. I’VE BEEN GOING HERE SINCE I WAS LITTLE. THAT’S HOW IT’S BEEN FOR YEARS. IT’S JUST SOMETHING THAT, LIKE, TRULY MEANS A LOT TO US. IT’S SHOWTIME. THE FESTIVAL DATES BACK TO THE 1930S. ARE WE READY? FOR MANY, THE OUTING IS A TRADITION. WE HAVE LOTS OF MEMORIES HERE. THIS IS THE LAVA. THIS GROUP SAYS THEY’VE BEEN COMING HERE FOR DECADES. AND I HAVE EVERY ONE OF THEM. AND THEY HAVE THE PINS TO PROVE IT. THEY STOPPED MAKING THEM, LIKE TEN YEARS AGO. BUT I HAVE EVERY SINGLE ONE. IT USED TO BE WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP, YOU GOT AS FAR AS THE BEER BOOTH, AND THAT’S THAT’S WHERE ALL THE PARENTS STOP THOSE LONG LINES STILL MARK THE BOOTHS WHERE YOU CAN BUY DRINKS, AND WHILE MANY WILL DRINK THE WINE, CATCHING ME DOUBLE — THE GRAPES. WANT TO BECOME WINE VERY BADLY? THEY DO. SOME WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO MAKE IT. SINCE WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF 100,000 ACRES OF CALIFORNIA’S NICEST GRAPES, IT’S A GOOD IDEA THAT YOU SHOULD MAKE SOME WINE. THE GRAPES AND THE WINE INDUSTRY IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE COMMUNITY, AND WE WANT TO PROMOTE THAT THE BEST WE CAN. MARK ARMSTRONG IS THE CEO OF THE LODI GRAPE FESTIVAL. I’VE BEEN THE MANAGER 34 YEARS. I’M STILL THE NEW GUY. HE SAYS HE’S PROUD TO PUT THE FOUR DAY EVENT ON FOR THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO COME EVERY YEAR. IT’S LIKE HOMECOMING FOR EVERYBODY. IT’S A CELEBRATION OF THE GRAPE HARVEST AND SOMETHING FOR LODI FAMILIES TO LOOK FORWARD TO. EVERY YEAR. AND IT IS A FOUR DAY FESTIVAL, SO YOU CAN STILL COME IF YOU PLAN TO. THEY RECOMMEND BUYING YOUR TICKETS ONLINE. THAT WAY YOU CAN GET THE BEST DEAL IN LODI, PEYTON HEADLEE KCRA THREE NEWS. IT RUNS FROM NOON TO MIDNIGHT TOMORROW AND SATURDAY NOON TO 11 ON SUNDAY. THERE’S LIVE MUS

    ‘It’s like a homecoming for everybody’: Lodi Grape Festival celebrates decades of tradition

    The Lodi Grape Festival in Northern California kicks off its four-day celebration, drawing thousands to enjoy food, wine, and entertainment.

    Updated: 11:22 PM PDT Sep 11, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    The Lodi Grape Festival in Northern California has begun its four-day celebration, marking the harvest season for wine grapes and drawing thousands of attendees to enjoy the festivities.The festival is filled with entertainment, food, vendors, grape murals, wine tasting, and so much more.”It’s actually a family tradition. I’ve been going here since I was little,” Monica Izaguirre said. “It’s just something that, like, truly means a lot to us.”For many families, the outing is a tradition that dates back decades. “It used to be when we were growing up, you got as far as the beer booths, and that’s where all the parents stopped,” Karen Brown Anderson said. “We’d get ride tickets and they go, okay, you’ve got a half hour and then come back here.”While many drink the wine that the festival offers, one booth will teach you how to make it.”Since we’re in the middle of 100,000 acres of California’s nicest grapes, it’s a good idea that you should make some wine,” Randy Savig with the Lodi Amateur Vintners Association said. “We make wine amateurish to start out with, and then some get very good at it. We have over, I think it’s 18 wineries in our Lodi area that they have started with our club and now they are a commercial winery.”Mark Armstrong, CEO of the Lodi Grape Festival, said the festival dates back to the 1930s. He emphasized the importance of the grape and wine industry to the community. “The grapes and the wine industry is the lifeblood of the community. And we want to promote that the best we can,” he said. Armstrong, who has managed the festival for 34 years, expressed pride in hosting the event for tens of thousands of attendees. “It’s like a homecoming for everybody,” he said.Tickets are still available. Armstrong said he recommends you buy tickets online for the best deals. The festival runs from noon to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and noon to 11 p.m. on Sunday, featuring live music acts including Tyler Rich and “We the Kings.”See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    LODI, Calif. —

    The Lodi Grape Festival in Northern California has begun its four-day celebration, marking the harvest season for wine grapes and drawing thousands of attendees to enjoy the festivities.

    The festival is filled with entertainment, food, vendors, grape murals, wine tasting, and so much more.

    “It’s actually a family tradition. I’ve been going here since I was little,” Monica Izaguirre said. “It’s just something that, like, truly means a lot to us.”

    For many families, the outing is a tradition that dates back decades.

    “It used to be when we were growing up, you got as far as the beer booths, and that’s where all the parents stopped,” Karen Brown Anderson said. “We’d get ride tickets and they go, okay, you’ve got a half hour and then come back here.”

    While many drink the wine that the festival offers, one booth will teach you how to make it.

    “Since we’re in the middle of 100,000 acres of California’s nicest grapes, it’s a good idea that you should make some wine,” Randy Savig with the Lodi Amateur Vintners Association said. “We make wine amateurish to start out with, and then some get very good at it. We have over, I think it’s 18 wineries in our Lodi area that they have started with our club and now they are a commercial winery.”

    Mark Armstrong, CEO of the Lodi Grape Festival, said the festival dates back to the 1930s. He emphasized the importance of the grape and wine industry to the community.

    “The grapes and the wine industry is the lifeblood of the community. And we want to promote that the best we can,” he said.

    Armstrong, who has managed the festival for 34 years, expressed pride in hosting the event for tens of thousands of attendees.

    “It’s like a homecoming for everybody,” he said.

    Tickets are still available. Armstrong said he recommends you buy tickets online for the best deals.

    The festival runs from noon to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and noon to 11 p.m. on Sunday, featuring live music acts including Tyler Rich and “We the Kings.”

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • Weather helping Pickett Fire crews in California’s Wine Country; containment creeps higher

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    Firefighters battling the Pickett Fire in California Wine Country are holding the line on acreage and continuing to increase containment with the help of favorable weather conditions, Cal Fire reported.

    The fire in Napa County near Calistoga has been burning since Aug. 21, threatening a number of vineyards and wineries within the evacuation zones. While the footprint of the fire has remained stable, smoke from the fire could impact the area’s grape harvest.

    The overnight marine layer of low clouds and fog moving in from the Pacific Ocean — in which cooler, moist air is trapped near the surface by the warmer, drier air above it — is helping crews in lower elevations, Cal Fire said in a Wednesday status report on the fire.

    A Cal Fire helicopter drops water on the Pickett Fire, August 23, 2025.

    Cal Fire


    Cal Fire said the fire’s containment crept up to 25%, while the size remained at 6,803 acres, about twice the size of the city of St. Helena. The fire was expected to remain in its current footprint, the agency said, which is near several vineyards.   

    Firefighters were strengthening control lines and mopping up hot spots, while damage assessment teams were working to identify structures in the fire’s path, Cal Fire said. There were at least 292 structures that were threatened by the fire, but no structures were destroyed.

    Nearly 3,000 fire personnel were working the Pickett Fire as of Wednesday afternoon. Among the resources assigned were 11 helicopters, 251 engines, 62 dozers, 35 water tenders, and 61 hand crews.

    Current Pickett Fire evacuation areas 8/26

    Evacuation orders remained in effect for the following zones as of Wednesday afternoon. Residents can find their evacuation zones at protect.genasys.com.  

    • NPA-E107-B
    • NPA-E108-A
    • NPA-E114
    • NPA-E115
    • NPA-E122-B
    • POP-E001-B
    • POP-E002-C

    Meanwhile, evacuation warnings were in effect for these zones:

    • NPA-E120
    • NPA-E121-B
    • NPA-E121-C

    The Pickett Fire started just before 3 p.m. on August 21 in the area of Pickett Road northeast of Kenefick Ranch Vineyard and Winery, outside Calistoga city limits.

    No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.   

    Carlos E. Castañeda

    Carlos E. Castañeda is a senior editor of news and social media for CBS Bay Area.

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    Carlos E. Castañeda

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  • North Bay farmworkers demand better pay at protest rally in Healdsburg

    North Bay farmworkers demand better pay at protest rally in Healdsburg

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    HEALDSBURG — Hundreds of Sonoma County farmworkers marched in Healdsburg Sunday demanding higher wages and hazard pay.

    “When it’s hot in extreme heat (and) when there’s smoke, we’re out there as farmworkers,” Isidro Rodriguez said on Sunday. “We’re taking care of these vines. From planting them, all the way until they make the grapes for the wine. This industry, this wine industry, is very rich. They are not paying us what we deserve. If we weren’t taking care of these plants, none of them would exist.”

    Rodriguez said he worked through the Point Fire, a Sonoma County wildfire that destroyed buildings, forced evacuations and caused  officials to declare a state of emergency. 

    “During some of the first fires, we really were not prepared and we didn’t even get masks,” Rodriguez said.

    Rodriguez also said workers had their hours cut during heat waves, causing a reduction in wages.

    “The rent is high (and) the food is high. The wages are not keeping up with the cost of living,” he said.

    Workers are demanding $25 an hour or $250 for every ton of grapes picked. They also demand hazard pay, which would provide them with additional money when working through dangerous conditions such as wildfires and heat waves and compensation for hours lost.

    “Thousands of tourists come for the wine that they drink here and it wouldn’t be anything without workers,” Aura Aguilar, a march organizer and daughter of South American immigrants, said on Sunday. “All of the people you saw here today are going to back the workers up if and when they go on strike.”

    Workers said they are prepared to strike if their demands are not met.

    “We are not going to stop marching and doing these marches until we win disaster pay and dignified wages. We plant these plants, we take care of them and we make it possible for them to have their wine,” Rodriguez said.

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  • Sonoma County vineyard owner recalls past trauma as nearby wildfire burns

    Sonoma County vineyard owner recalls past trauma as nearby wildfire burns

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    HEALDSBURG — Francisco López, co-owner of Aldina Vineyards, is no stranger to the devastating impacts of wildfires.

    As the Point Fire burns over 1,000 acres near Lake Sonoma, he feels a sense of déjà vu.

    “For us, it’s definitely pretty traumatic in the sense that, unfortunately, we were fire victims in 2017. My family lost their home over 20 years in the Tubbs Fire. It’s a traumatic experience when you have that smell in the air: the fire,” López shared.

    López has been closely monitoring the news as the fire spreads just minutes away from his vineyard, near the southeast region of Lake Sonoma.

    “That first time, none of us were prepared, especially in 2017. And I think that now, with this time, when we first knew there was a fire, it’s to make sure the cars have gas, everything is ready to go in case we have to evacuate,” he said.

    The fire’s rapid progression has already prompted evacuations across the region. Hundreds of people have been evacuated from the Dry Creek Valley, with an additional evacuation warning affecting over 4,000 residents north of Mill Creek Road. An evacuation center has been set up at Laguna High School in Forestville. The situation is also impacting López’s business.

    “I don’t think there’s a lot of things happening in Healdsburg today, but there are some people here in town, and we’ll do our best to take care of those people,” López remarked.

    He is also following emergency recommendations shared by Sonoma County and local organizations like United Way of Wine Country. Lisa Carreño, Director of United Way of Wine Country, highlighted the importance of the 211-emergency line.

    “Ninety-four folks have contacted the 211 in the last 24 hours, which is unusually high for our 211 activity. From what I understand from our call center and our 211 director, most of the calls have been coming from this region right here. It’s the folks who are in the evacuation warning zone,” Carreño explained.

    For López, it’s a time to remain vigilant, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

    “Trying to be mindful of so many of us who have already lost homes and the wineries that have been closed,” he said.

    Francisco López is committed to staying on top of this emergency while also helping those in need during this critical moment.

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    Jose Martinez

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  • San Francisco Cable Cars Head to the Texas Hill Country Vineyards

    San Francisco Cable Cars Head to the Texas Hill Country Vineyards

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    Cable Car wine tours brings their famous San Francisco Cable Cars to Fredericksburg, Texas to offer wine tours in the heart of Texas Hill Country. Ride around on their Instagram worthy vehicles for your perfect day in wine country!

    Press Release
    –


    updated: May 24, 2021


    FREDERICKSBURG, Texas, May 24, 2021 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Cable Car Wine Tours, owners of the largest private fleet of San Francisco Cable Cars, is bringing their famous Cable Car Wine Tours to Texas. The world-famous open-air cable cars have been the best way to see wine country for many years and now Texans will be able to experience that famous ride in Fredericksburg, TX. Historic and replica San Francisco cable cars make up the fleet, with many having been taken straight off their rails and converted over to gas powered vehicles.

    Cable Car Wine Tours will operate shared group tours 7 days a week in Fredericksburg, where guests can purchase tickets for an all-inclusive day that includes a ride on one of their cable cars, wine tastings, and lunch. They are also available to book for private tours or special events like bachelorette parties, weddings, or corporate outings for anyone looking for a private experience or to customize their stops and duration.

    In addition to their wine tours, they have partnered with the #1 ghost tour in America according to USA Today in 2020, Nightly Spirits, to offer haunted tours in the evenings around Fredericksburg. These tours include beer flights and a hop on/off style ghost tour around Fredericksburg, where you will hear spooky stories and see haunted buildings. During Halloween season, they even bring out their famous haunted Cable Car #10 that has its own murderous past in San Francisco.

    Ryan Trenkle, Wine Tour Director, “It’s pretty exciting to bring our world class experiences to Fredericksburg and we think that Texans will be excited to ride in something that isn’t just another limo bus, but in a type of vehicle that they can really see Hill Country. Nothing beats clear open views facing out towards the wineries when hearing about the history and experiencing the best wineries in Texas.”

    About Cable Car Wine Tours: Founded in 2006 in Temecula, CA, Cable Car Wine Tours is now a division of the Eat Drink Scare Tour Co., owners of Nightly Spirits and Cable Car Wine Tours, with Headquarters in Fredericksburg, TX. Cable Car Wine Tours operates tours in California and Texas, which tour tens of thousands of people a year through different wine regions.

    To Learn More: Visit https://texaswine.tours or call 830-999-7099

    Media Contact: Jared@EatDrinkScare.Tours

    Source: Cable Car Wine Tours

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