According to Decanter, there is increasing concern in Napa Valley over how much the region can sustain with the number of wineries being built and floods of tourists coming in and out everyday. This week there was a meeting of Napa County’s planning committee and board of supervisors that was attended by hundreds of people, where it was discussed whether or not there should be restrictions put on winery and vineyard proposals.
More tourists come in and out of Napa each day than there are residents, says Wine Searcher, and that volume of cars clogging up the roads is among the concerns of Napa locals. These discussions also shed light on fears of the area becoming congested and over-built, as well as negative environmental effects. In 2012 alone, there were 3.8 million winery visits, according to a Napa Valley Vintners economic impact report.
Rosemary Cakebread, winemaker and owner at Gallicia Wine, commented on the issue saying: “People are working hard and being pragmatic. The end goal is to make sure this place remains an agricultural area. We are confident we can manage the water and the traffic.”
No final decisions have yet been reached, but considering that 46,000 jobs and 400 wineries are linked to the wine industry in Napa, its likely that discussions will continue to move forward. [Decanter][Photo: Flickr/Derek Key]