While there were some big decisions that had to be made, it was abundantly clear that the Sonoma County wine community is better together.
Sonoma County Vintners will merge with Sonoma County Winegrowers effective today, September 30, 2026, winding down an 82-year-old organization and folding its winery membership into a unified county trade body. The move caps a three-month process that began with a joint announcement on July 1 and was confirmed to members at a September 16 meeting.
Under the plan, Sonoma County Vintners (SCV) will merge with the Winegrowers' Winery Collaborative to create a new Sonoma County Wine membership for wineries beginning in 2027. Both boards have approved the path forward, which followed months of work by an industry task force and a survey of nearly 100 local vintners in which a clear majority said they supported or strongly supported exploring integration.
A member-driven decision
"The response we received from our members to integrate into a single organization was overwhelmingly positive. This new effort should greatly help in promoting Sonoma County wines, increase visitation to Sonoma County wineries and grow direct-to-consumer sales," said Prema Kerollis, co-founder and president of Three Sticks Wines and chair of the Sonoma County Vintners board of directors. She added, "While there were some big decisions that had to be made, it was abundantly clear that the Sonoma County wine community is better together."
The July announcement framed the move as a response to a difficult operating environment. "Facing the realities of today's market, our growers and vintners came together with a single purpose to explore merging resources to strengthen our efforts and speak with one unmistakable voice for Sonoma County wine," said Karissa Kruse, chief executive officer of Sonoma County Winegrowers. "This is a natural evolution given today's global challenges and the result will make our efforts to promote the Sonoma County wine region more effective."
Emilie Eliason, interim executive director of Sonoma County Vintners, called the plan "an exciting proactive, strategic approach to combat the challenges ahead together to drive demand for our wines and elevate the region," adding, "Our goal is simple: to ensure Sonoma County remains one of the most respected and competitive wine regions in the world."
What happens next
At the September 16 member meeting, SCV leadership said the organization will wind down and transition its programming and events into the new structure. Members were told to expect an announcement on October 1 regarding the new organization, its programs and its membership structure.
What is not yet public: the leadership and staffing of the combined entity, the dues structure for the new Sonoma County Wine membership, and the fate of SCV's existing events and foundation work. Those details are expected in the October 1 announcement.
Why it matters
Sonoma County's wine trade has long spoken through two megaphones, one for growers and one for vintners. Consolidation eliminates duplicated programming and, in the organizers' telling, gives the region a single voice at a moment of soft demand, tariff uncertainty and tight grower economics. Whether one membership can serve both small family wineries and large producers, and both growers and vintners, without diluting either constituency's priorities, is the open question the October announcement will need to answer. For winery executives, the practical takeaway is to watch the October 1 membership terms: dues, marketing commitments and event calendars for 2027 will all be reset.