Area wineries are protesting what they perceive as undue interference in their businesses by the county environmental health and planning and zoning departments, while county officials say that they are simply enforcing countywide regulations.
According to winery owners, they first became aware of the environmental health department’s scrutiny in October when a group of county officials visited several of the wineries to hand out health department packets outlining the procedures for approval of a food establishment license. The wineries were given 30 days to respond.
Jeff Terrell, director of the Santa Cruz County Environmental Health department, believes that the wineries must obtain this license. “Any business serving drinks is considered a food establishment,” Terrell said. “This is not the same as a restaurant license,” he added.
The wineries, however, believe that the county does not have jurisdiction over them,
especially over their production, as they are regulated and inspected by federal and state agencies, including the FDA. Because of this, they have retained a lawyer to challenge the authority of the county.
“Businesses have to submit development plans for any commercial use,” Jesse Drake, director of Santa Cruz County Planning and Zoning Department, said. One Sonoita winery, AZ Hops and Vines, was fined $2500 by the state liquor board in September for serving wine on their patio, which, according to the county, was not part of their original development plan.
They then applied for approval by the county for an extension of premises, but both the Health and Planning and Zoning Departments denied the permit. “Most of our customers want to buy a bottle of wine and hang out on our patio and enjoy the view, and they are being denied that,” co-owner Shannon Zouzoulas said. They have also had to cancel several of their outside events, causing them lost revenue.
According to Zouzoulas, the county is demanding that the winery install new septic tanks and provide hydrology reports, along with several other requirements. “There’s a myriad of things. It’s extremely overwhelming,” she said. “I don’t think we have done anything wrong and we are struggling to comply.”
At least one other winery is running into difficulties, as well. A cease and desist order
was issued by the county to Rune Wines in Sonoita in October for operating without a valid permit. When contacted by the PRT, James Callahan, the owner of Rune Wines declined to comment.
“We have not yet done a complete inspection of all the wineries,” Terrell said. Three
have been approved already, according to Terrell, Village of Elgin Winery, Flying Leap
Winery, and Deep Sky Vineyards.
“We are not doing anything we wouldn’t do in Rio Rico. Something has to be seriously
wrong for us to step in. We’re not looking to shut anybody down. We just want them in
compliance,” Drake said. “We can’t figure out what the uproar is about. We didn’t go out
there looking for stuff. We don’t know why they think they are being bullied.”