Historic Diamond Creek Vineyards wins county approval to grow
A winery south of Calistoga that pioneered the production of single-vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon in the Napa Valley can boost its wine production, build a new winery facility and receive more guests.
Diamond Creek Vineyards on Jan. 21 received permission from the Napa County Planning Commission to build a new 23,245 square-foot winery on the 78-acre property.
The late Al and Adelle “Boots” Brounstein founded Diamond Creek Vineyards in 1968. Their first vintage was in 1972. Al Brounstein died in 2006; Boots Brounstein died in 2019.
The property, which includes an existing residence, was sold in 2020 to Champagne producer Maison Louis Roederer.
Diamond Creek Vineyards also received the green light to produce up to 25,000 gallons of wine a year instead of 10,000 gallons. In addition, the winery can host up to 3,120 daily visitors a year.
The winery was entitled to have only 520 visitors annually. Instead, it has hosted 2,444 visitors a year. In addition, the winery can host 11 marketing events a year.
The company also plans to improve the private driveway that serves the winery and other properties. The driveway will be widened to 22 feet to meet county road and street standards, with the exception of two locations that are constrained because of the terrain.
An 1885 stone bridge that leads to the property will undergo repairs. In addition, turnouts will be built on either side of the bridge to have clear sight lines.
Diamond Creek Vineyards plans to convert its existing 7,540-square-foot winery into a second residence. The plans also include upgrading the septic system.
The property, which features a recreational reservoir, two ponds and two wells, straddles two lots.
The winery applied in 2019 for the county’s voluntary code compliance program. The amnesty program was approved in 2018 to help property owners legalize code compliance issues.
“We think this project has been thoroughly vetted,” Lester Hardy, an attorney who represents Diamond Creek Vineyards, told the commissioners.
In an email, Richard Svendsen, who has lived 57 years on Diamond Mountain Road, urged the commission to reconsider Diamond Creek Vineyards’ application, raising concerns about the project’s impacts on residents.
Planning commissioners were still receptive of the project. Planning Commissioner Kara Brunzell, an architectural historian, said she was pleased that the bridge will be repaired. “It’s a beautiful piece of our heritage in the county,” Brunzell said.
Diamond Creek Vineyards is one of 47 applicants that signed up for Napa County’s code compliance program by the March 2019 deadline in order to legalize code.
The Planning Commission on Jan. 7 approved Barnett Vineyards’ application to legally host more than 11,000 visitors a year. The winery can also build a new tasting room and increase wine production rom from 20,000 gallons to 30,000 gallons a year.
