Sonoma County’s two biggest wine trade groups are becoming one. The Sonoma County Winegrowers and the Sonoma County Vintners said Wednesday they will fold their winery memberships into a single organization, Sonoma County Wine, that launches in January 2027.
The move ends more than eight decades of the Vintners operating as the county’s stand-alone voice for wineries. Founded in 1944, the group will wind down by the end of this year. Its winery members and the Winegrowers’ newer Winery Collaborative marketing program will be rolled together under the new banner, which the Winegrowers will own and run.
Key Takeaways
- The Sonoma County Winegrowers and Sonoma County Vintners will merge their winery memberships into a new group, Sonoma County Wine, starting in January 2027.
- Both boards approved the deal unanimously after a member survey found strong support among vintners.
- The Sonoma County Vintners, founded in 1944, will shut down by the end of 2026.
- The merged group will be owned and managed by the Winegrowers, with a new Wine Marketing Committee drawn from both boards.
- The two groups’ charitable foundations stay separate.
A slumping market forced the question
The merger lands in the middle of a long downturn. Alcohol consumption is falling, wine sales are soft, tasting rooms are quieter and the grape market is sluggish. Trade groups that live on member dues have felt all of it.
The Vintners felt it hardest. The group restructured and cut four staff positions in November, and its annual expenses have run roughly $200,000 to $250,000 ahead of revenue every year since 2023, The Press Democrat reported. In its own explanation of the merger, the group pointed to declining membership and rising costs.
“The wine industry is changing rapidly, and the organizations and businesses that will thrive are those willing to evolve alongside it,” said Karissa Kruse, chief executive of the Sonoma County Winegrowers. “By bringing together the strengths of both organizations, we’re creating a stronger, more unified platform to support our growers and wineries, strengthen the Sonoma County brand and make the best use of our collective resources.”
How the new group will work
The two boards set up a task force this spring to look at how they could cut overlap and pool their marketing muscle. The Vintners then surveyed nearly 100 wineries and found a strong majority backed combining the two memberships. Both boards signed off unanimously.
Sonoma County Wine will be managed by the Winegrowers and guided by a new Wine Marketing Committee made up of current board members from both organizations. That committee will steer marketing programs and the budget.
State law complicates board seats. The Winegrowers is a state-chartered marketing commission, and its directors have to be grape growers who pay the grower assessment. The group says the winery side is still well represented: 13 of its 21 board members own, run or are closely tied to a winery, and a current Vintners board member was just elected to a two-year term on the Winegrowers board.
“The response we received from our members to integrate into a single organization was overwhelmingly positive,” said Prema Kerollis, president of the Sonoma County Vintners board. “While there were some big decisions that had to be made, it was abundantly clear the Sonoma County wine community is better together.”
What happens to members and events
Nobody’s membership disappears overnight. The 2026 winery memberships for both groups will be honored through the end of the year. The Vintners will run its planned events through Sept. 30, including its Pour + Explore tasting series, and hand off the three remaining 2026 events to the Winegrowers. The Winegrowers is also buying additional Vintners assets.
Wineries won’t be charged the combined price of both current memberships. The Winegrowers says it is still setting the fee structure for Sonoma County Wine and will announce it before the 2027 membership year. Joining will be voluntary.
The Winery Collaborative, the program at the center of the deal, is the Winegrowers’ bet on reaching drinkers outside the usual channels. It launched the first Major League Baseball wine club with the San Francisco Giants and has cut marketing deals with the Houston Rockets, the Chicago Bears and the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
The charitable arms of both groups — the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation and the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation — will keep running as separate legal entities. The future of the groups’ government-affairs work is still being worked out.
“Our goal is simple: to ensure Sonoma County remains one of the most respected and competitive wine regions in the world,” said Emilie Eliason, the Vintners’ interim executive director.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sonoma County Wine?
It’s the new membership organization that combines the Sonoma County Vintners with the Sonoma County Winegrowers’ Winery Collaborative program. It launches in January 2027 and will be owned and managed by the Winegrowers.
What happens to the Sonoma County Vintners?
The Vintners, founded in 1944, will wind down its operations by the end of 2026. Its members are being encouraged to join Sonoma County Wine.
Why are the two groups merging?
The wine industry is in a prolonged slump, with declining consumption, soft sales and a weak grape market. Both boards concluded that pooling resources would cut duplication and give Sonoma County wineries a stronger, unified marketing voice.
Will winery members pay more?
No. The groups say wineries won’t be charged the combined fees of both current memberships. A single fee structure is being finalized and will be announced before the 2027 membership year.
Do the charitable foundations change?
No. The Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation and the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation remain separate legal entities with their own boards and missions.