Kenwood Vineyards seeks new tasting room

At Kenwood Vineyards, guests taste wine in a barn more than a century old that was once part of Pagani Brothers Cellars, established in 1906.

The winery has come a long way from the jug wines once produced there, after it was bought in 1970 and converted to a modern facility.

After a succession of owners, Kenwood Vineyards was acquired in 2014 by Pernod Ricard, a French wine and spirits conglomerate. The new proprietors believe consumers are looking for something more than just walking up to a tasting bar in a rustic barn.

It’s part of a trend toward “a deeper and more impactful tasting experience,” said Eric Thomson, vice president of global marketing for Pernod Ricard Winemakers.

To that end, the winery is seeking county permission to build a new 4,100-square-foot tasting room with a view of the vineyards and mountains to take in the ambiance of Sonoma Valley while sipping wines. There also are plans for a bar patio, and a separate section to host wine club members.

The winery’s application, which has not yet been scheduled for a hearing by the county’s Board of Zoning Adjustments, seeks 35 more parking spaces, and an expansion of its sewage treatment system.

Kenwood Vineyards plans to hold up to 22 events, as well as an additional six industrywide events, similar to what it has been doing with its existing grandfathered permit. The winery is not seeking to increase its current production permit level of 500,000 cases.

Over the past 10 years, visitor attendance at the winery has vacillated between 25,000 to almost 30,000 annually. Thomson acknowledges the improvements could hike that to 35,000 per year.

“We’re looking to capture existing traffic rolling through on Highway 12,” he said.

As a result of community meetings and some opposition, Kenwood Vineyards cut the number of events from its initial plan, dropped some of the features of the tasting room, such as an outdoor cooking oven, and added parking so it doesn’t overflow onto Highway 12.

“We want to be stewards in maintaining the character we think our valley has,” Thomson said. “It’s important for us to be cognizant of the balance that needs to be struck between commerce in the area and maintain what has historically been an agricultural region.”

Clark Mason