After a Tough Season, Wine Country Farmers Are Working to Harvest Grapes

Here are the morning’s top stories on Friday, October 17, 2025…

• Federal immigration officials could be setting their sights on Sonoma county. A local supervisor says Department of Homeland Security officials asked in a meeting if the sheriff’s office would notify DHS when undocumented immigrants are arrested.  
• Farmers in wine country have been working at all hours to get their grapes off the vine before they rot. The harvest follows an especially hard season slowed by a cooler summer and made worse by other obstacles including tariffs and oversupply from the pandemic.

DHS Officials Sought Cooperation from Sonoma County’s Sheriff

Department of Homeland Security officials visited the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office last week for a purported meet-and-greet with a new DHS regional supervisor. During that meeting, sheriff’s office officials say DHS asked if the sheriff’s office would notify the department when undocumented people are arrested.

State law permits local authorities to respond to DHS inquiries in cases of violent crime, but the sheriff’s office said they would stick to their policy of not responding to any DHS inquiries.

“Just to get my point across… the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office does not cooperate with ICE,” said Sergeant Juan Valencia, a sheriff’s office spokesperson.

County supervisor Lynda Hopkins, who was present at the meeting, said she shared the details because she believes the public has a right to know during a time of tremendous concern about immigration enforcement.

Grape Growers Harvest By Night and Work Against the Clock

In recent days, workers at E.J. Gallo Winery in Healdsburg have harvested by tractor light as they push to get grapes off of vines.

Manager Max Manoukian says this season was especially hard, slowed by a cool summer. The industry has also faced other obstacles like changing drinking habits, tariffs and oversupply since the pandemic.

Manoukian said the late nights can be brutal, but also create a sense of comradery.

“For the county, everyone is doing the same thing and going through the same difficulties so it’s kind of a common struggle,” Manoukian said.

Harvesting will continue for about another week, whether or not workers manage to pick everything.