It’s been 20 years since the film Sideways debuted, inspiring aficionados to visit and enjoy California’s iconic wine culture. In 2023, this interest amounted to approximately 14 million visitors in Napa and Sonoma counties alone.
“Wine is the reason why Sonoma County has become a very popular destination,” said Jonny Westom, VP of business development at Sonoma County Tourism. “[But] Sonoma County is also what we call a geo-diverse destination, in addition to 425 wineries that exist throughout this million-acre county.”
Together, these are big drivers for tourism and travel. Regarding groups, the main business is corporate, incentive and association—with a little international thrown in. At this year’s IMEX America, recently held in Las Vegas, Visit Napa Valley conducted several appointments with international incentive groups, specifically based in Mexico and Latin America.
[Related: 3 Sonoma County Wineries Your Groups Will Love]
“We are seeing many requests for C-suite, corporate retreats and wellness trips,” said a representative of Visit Napa Valley. “Unique venues are what planners are looking for in the Napa Valley. Most groups will choose to conduct at least one offsite event during their stay here, and many extend their stay.”
Future-Proofing the Industry
With speculation about wine consumers “aging out,” the Wine Marketing Council does not want the industry to rest on its laurels. To that end, WMC recently conducted surveys to learn more about young wine consumers and ethnic demographics. From a survey of more than 9,100 wine drinkers, WMC learned that 83 percent identify as Caucasian. More concerning for wine destinations is that only 24 percent intend to visit wineries.
“The wine community is looking at how they can recalibrate their marketing efforts, pitch and promote their product and try to increase the visibility of Sonoma County wines,” Westom said.
Wineries wanting to capture a larger market share—namely to appeal to younger and more diverse consumers—are taking note. For example, Healdsburg’s J Vineyard & Winery’s “Shifting the Lens” Program pairs its wines with ethnic menus created by award-winning chefs. Other vineyards have developed programs and amenities in their properties.
[Related: 9 California Wineries Offering Outdoor Venues for Group Gatherings]
At his winery up in Geyserville, Francis Ford Coppola has an extensive collection of movie sets.
“He used to have the Godfather’s actual desk (it’s now offsite),” Westom said. “Still, from Platoon to Bride of Frankenstein, all these costumes and things are inside the winery.
“The winery also has a swim club associated with it,” Westom added.
Other programs feature horseback or even ATV riding.
“Dry Creek Vineyards has tours where groups go on ATVs into the vineyard, touch the grapes, drink the wine and enjoy themselves,” Westom offered.
Great incentives in Napa include Feast It Forward (the ultimate foodie festival) and BottleRock, which just closed its 11th year with headliners Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran, Stevie Nicks and Megan Thee Stallion. According to Visit Napa Valley, other crowd-pleasers are CIA at Copia and Greystone, and the Napa Valley Wine Train. The latter is available for small groups to buy out.
Wineries are also entering the mainstream through sports partnerships.
“Sonoma County wine is the exclusive wine of the Houston Rockets, and Kendall-Jackson is the exclusive line of the NBA,” Westom noted.
“What’s a Currant?”
Another recommendation is that the language of wine “notes” be updated. Currants, for example, are an unlikely comparison in the U.S. since it’s estimated that only 0.1% of Americans have eaten one.
At a vineyard, however, groups hear about wine from its source.
“We call it an approachable luxury,” Westom noted, “meaning that you can interface with the winemaker, the owner of a winery or somebody else who is very knowledgeable of the product or the process, and they’ll bring it to a level that makes you understand it as an individual.”
It’s good for the winemakers, too.
“Our vendors here and our wineries will help people understand the process, so they can appreciate the craft of the labor and how it is the heart and soul of this destination, welcoming these folks into their homes to help people enjoy what they created,” he added.
[Related: How to Explore California Wine Country Through Food]
Selling the Small, the Charming, the Quirky
Napa and Sonoma counties comprise countless little towns with great charm. What makes them somewhat unique is that many are still “working” communities.
“The town of Bodega Bay, where the Hitchcock movie The Birds was filmed, has a massive fishing community,” Westom said. “A lot of the fish caught in the ocean are then served in Sonoma County that evening.
All of the authenticity and uniqueness that makes Napa and Sonoma desirable is also reflected in its accommodation offerings.
“A lot of our hotel product features independent hotels or boutique hotels that don’t have flags associated with them,” Westom said. “To better sell and promote our hotel product, we created a virtual walk-through experience of properties that includes the reception area within the entrances, reception guest rooms, common spaces, restaurants, bars, meeting spaces, all with graphic overlays to tell a story over the top of it.”
Of course, one of the quirkiest things about Sonoma is Charles M. Schulz lived there while creating the world-famous Peanuts comic strip. A museum is dedicated to his work and the local airport is named after him.
“Its logo is Snoopy flying his doghouse!” Westrom enthused. “And it’s 100 percent powered by solar energy. Not a lot of airports can say that.”
In Napa County, some of the venues that are trending now, according to Merry-Barrango, include “Chandon Home, which can do all sizes of events, with dedicated culinary programs; Bouchaine’s Olive Hill Estate (for meetings, weddings and events); and Grove 45 (olive oil tastings plus much more).”
[Related: How Santa Rosa Stands Out for Meetings in Sonoma County, California]
What’s New in Napa/Sonoma
Napa County
New Wineries: A $20 million renovation of the former Provenance Winery has transformed it into the new 120-acre Bella Union Winery. Inspired by the Belle Epoque time period, the winery features the Jewel Box Tasting room, a soaring, glass-walled room with sweeping views of the famed Rutherford district. Materra Cunat Family Vineyards recently opened a state-of-the-art 10,000-square-foot hospitality center. This new winery space features multiple private tasting rooms and incredible views of the Oak Knoll District.
Renovations: The 345-room, 1,200-acre Silverado Resort completed a $1.5 million renovation to 17,000 square feet of its indoor meeting space. The renovation features the 5,160-square-foot Silverado Ballroom that can host events of up to 400 people.
Yountville’s Domaine Chandon completed a major renovation last year to mark its 50th anniversary in Napa Valley. Now called Chandon Home, the venue features the Oak Grove, with private platforms, garden cabanas and other outdoor venues perfect for small groups.
Sonoma County
New Properties: Following a feasibility study, Sonoma County Tourism has narrowed the choices for its proposed convention center to five different locations; however, first consideration goes to remodeling the former Sears building at Santa Rosa Plaza, which is owned by Simon Properties. The proposed venue would have approximately 38,000 square feet of meeting space, including a ballroom and several breakout rooms.
Replay Destinations expects to start constructing its 53-room luxury hotel in Healdsburg. The property will form the heart of the Mill District, a planned neighborhood in Sonoma County. In addition to exclusive wine country adventures, the hotel will feature an intimate spa and wellness center, a sun-bathed outdoor pool and spa deck, a restaurant and bar emphasizing local cuisine sourced from nearby farms and gardens, and an acclaimed vintners and wine program.
Additionally, the 165-room Hyatt Place Sonoma Wine Country broke ground in October and is expected to open in 2026.
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