Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, August 19, 2025…
- In Sonoma County, leaders in the wine industry are floating the idea of a Wine Improvement District. Under the proposed plan, consumers would pay 1 to 2 percent more for tasting room visits, wine club memberships within California, and every bottle purchased at a local winery. Supporters say the plan would provide much-needed collective marketing dollars to boost the industry, but many Sonoma County winery owners are not thrilled with the idea.
- In Sacramento, Democrats are moving quickly on a sweeping redistricting plan. And Republicans are pushing back. California Democrats formally introduced legislation on Monday to establish a new congressional map and bypass the state’s independent redistricting rules.
Plan For Wine Improvement District Receives Pushback In Sonoma County
Sonoma County’s wine industry is facing significant challenges, in line with global declines in wine sales, and shifting consumer trends.
Local vintners and grape growers are joining forces to explore a possible solution for the wine and ag sector. Industry leaders have formed a steering committee to explore creating a Sonoma County Wine Improvement District, or WID. A handful of California regions already have WIDs in place. Livermore Valley, Santa Barbara County and Temecula. The concept is similar to a business improvement district: Wineries within the designated region pay into a pool, and the money is used to promote their wines and businesses. With the wine industry seeing a major slump over the past few years, WIDs are on the rise.
But when Sonoma County announced its plan last month, winery owners didn’t exactly pop the corks in celebration. “The first time I heard about it was the press release that the Sonoma County winegrowers sent out,” said Kathleen Inman, founder of Inman Family Wines in Santa Rosa. “I was really quite shocked that the message came out directly to all of us wineries rather than having any consultation beforehand.” While Inman agrees that the local wine industry needs to change its approach, she said she’d rather see an assessment that the wineries pay based on how many gallons they produce.
“I do think customers are concerned about having to pay more. People complain about pricing all of the time. I think if they’re paying even 1% more, it’s going to make people unhappy,” she said.
