How Sonoma County wineries are navigating a post-pandemic tourism world

Something happened during the pandemic that proved critical to the long-term recovery of Sonoma County’s wine-centric tourism industry.

Because wine enthusiasts weren’t allowed to travel, the region’s wineries went to them — virtually. That decision not only helped keep Sonoma County’s wines at the forefront of consumers’ minds, but also was an avenue for boosting online sales and wine club memberships.

“The pivot to virtual tastings during COVID-19 will forever change the way wineries move forward with storytelling and consumer-relationship building,” said Maggie Curry, vice president of brand marketing at Kendall-Jackson. “(We) still offer some virtual tastings and events, as we’ve seen our customers view that as an added benefit.”

Most of Sonoma County’s 425-plus wineries made the shift to hosting virtual events during the pandemic, according to Sonoma County Vintners.

For example, according to the vintners association, Bricoleur Vineyards in Windsor offered a virtual cooking show series called "Quarantine Kitchen,“ where recipes were posted on its website ahead of the event so participants could purchase Bricoleur’s wines and then prepare a meal along with the chef.

Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Vineyard offered a chocolate- and wine-pairing virtual experience, while Inman Wines in the Russian River Valley hosted a "Meet the Maker" virtual happy hour featuring its wines.

Another result from the pandemic was a shift in how tourists approach their in-person visits to wineries, said Sonoma County Vintners Executive Director Michael Haney.

The days of tourists visiting a handful of wineries and then going back to their hotel rooms are dwindling, he said.

“We see people making appointments, first of all, and then going to fewer wineries but staying longer and having that sit-down or curated experience and really learning about the history and education of making wine and so forth,” Haney said.

Kendall-Jackson has resumed those personal experiences at its Santa Rosa estate, as has Francis Ford Coppola Winery, which also pivoted to virtual events during lockdown.

More than a winery

For the Geyserville-based Coppola winery, pandemic recovery has been more complicated because it is also a family-friendly tourist destination that makes a big splash during the summer season, according to Rick Toyota, vice president, direct-to-consumer, Francis Ford Coppola Winery.

The property also includes two on-site eating establishments: the seasonal Pool Cafe and the year-round Rustic.

That means the Coppola winery is also in the restaurant business. And despite the numerous restaurant closures during the pandemic, there are now more restaurants popping up in the county post-COVID-19, he said.

“Because of this, we’re competing for both employees and customers in this new environment,” Toyota said, adding that has led to some operational changes.

“For example, we’re modifying our Rustic menu to more seasonal options, giving our culinary team greater opportunities to display their talents with brand new menu items, while keeping many of ‘Francis’s Favorites’ in rotation,” he said.

Wine on the menu

Before the pandemic, John Ash & Co., one of Sonoma County’s longtime farm-to-table restaurants, occasionally hosted winemaker dinner programs, said Robin Ameral, director of food and beverage at Vintners Resort, where the restaurant is located.

This year, John Ash is taking those one-off events to a new level with a five-event winemaker dinner series, she said. The first event will be held Thursday and feature Iron Horse Vineyards.

“It’s definitely something we’ve wanted to do, and the goal this year was to get that started,” Ameral said, adding next week’s winemaker dinner program is sold out.

“We think it’s a good way to showcase the restaurant, our wines and our gardens. And Chef Thomas (Schmidt) is really good at these kinds of innovative dinners, so he gets to be creative.”

The lineup for the other four winemaker dinner series this year are scheduled for May 11 (Aperture Cellars), June 15 (Flambeaux Winery), July 13 (Hartford Family Winery) and Aug. 10 (Convene Wines by Dan Kosta).

Ameral said the plan is to hold another winemaker dinner series next year, but with six events rather than five.

Joe Bartolomei, co-owner of the Farmhouse Inn and restaurant in Forestville, said 95% of his guests come to Sonoma County specifically for the wines.

The 25-room boutique hotel has been busy post-pandemic, but it was last year when visitation began to return to 2019 levels, he said.

Still, that hasn’t exempted the luxury property from the challenges being experienced by its hotel and restaurant counterparts.

“We’re still struggling with not enough employees, not enough staff,” Bartolomei said.

The Farmhouse restaurant, which features a seven-course chef’s tasting menu with a focus on Sonoma County wines, is also busy once again.

"I would say probably 70% of our guests that get wine will do the wine pairing as opposed to bottles of wine,“ Bartolomei said. “The wine that’s paired with every course is very thoughtful and intentional.”

Large gatherings

Events began to resume last year and are now regaining pre-pandemic momentum. Kendall-Jackson, for instance, is readying for a Kentucky Derby celebration over the May 5-6 weekend that will include a watch party and a concert by country music star Jimmie Allen, according to Curry.

“In June, we’re excited to welcome back the Sonoma County Vintners’ Taste of Sonoma event for the second year,” she said of the event that gives the region’s wineries a place to showcase their wines. “As the host venue, we’re looking forward to offering a picturesque backdrop for the bounty of culinary and wine delights.”

Kendall-Jackson hosted Taste of Sonoma for the first time in 2022, when the event resumed after being canceled for two years during the height of the pandemic. Last year’s event drew 1,000 attendees, with more than 100 of Sonoma County’s wineries participating.

Group visits

When Sonoma County Vintners holds its eighth-annual barrel auction on May 5, it will be hosting groups from several countries, including Japan, Norway and Korea, Haney said. The barrel auction, which resumed in 2022, aims to build awareness of the diverse Sonoma County wine region and provide relationship-building opportunities for vintners.

In addition, Sonoma County Vintners has resumed its outbound recruitment efforts to attract international groups to the region, so far having made in-person visits this year to Germany and France and, next month, to Singapore, Haney said.

Because wine is a such a prominent part of tourism in Sonoma County, the decisions that were made to stay relevant during the pandemic also buoyed Sonoma County Tourism’s own efforts, said President and CEO Claudia Vecchio.

“We are including some of those types of virtual wine tastings with our group audiences moving forward,” Vecchio said.

“Of all the things that happened during the pandemic and the decimation of the travel industry as a result, our wineries really did such a great job in keeping brand awareness throughout that three-year time period.”