The Legal Fight Between Napa County and Small Wineries Continues
One case moves back to the district court and another is granted a stay as the long battle over Napa Valley regulations wages on
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Federal appeals court reverses dismissal of some claims against Napa County in Hoopes Vineyard case
By EDWARD BOOTH | pressdemocrat.com | PUBLISHED: April 14, 2026 | A federal lawsuit filed by Hoopes Vineyard and two other small wineries challenging Napa County land use rules is back on, after an appeals court this week reversed an earlier dismissal of some claims from the…
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Judge revives federal lawsuit against Napa County by three wineries
by Barry Eberling, Napa Valley Register, April 15, 2026 | A federal appeals court’s three-judge panel ruled that much of a lawsuit filed against Napa County by Hoopes Vineyard, Smith-Madrone Winery and Summit Lake Vineyards over county winery regulations can…
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The Wine Makers – Lyndsay Hoopes, Hoopes Vineyard
Lyndsay Hoopes has a lot on her plate—and it’s not just wine. Napa County has hit Hoopes Vineyard with a public nuisance complaint over everything from tastings and visitation to a small animal sanctuary on the property. Now, they’re demanding…
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Napa’s Ag Preserve Law at Risk
One of Napa’s most contentious laws could come under the microscope after a successful Michigan lawsuit. W. Blake Gray | Wine-Searcher | The modern history of Napa County revolves around its agricultural preserve law, which local voters approved in 1968. It’s intended…
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Close to Home: Napa County government is squeezing vineyards
The single most damaging force to the future of small Napa wineries isn’t a foreign tariff. It’s Napa County government. LINDSAY HOOPES, HEATHER BRAKESMAN-GRIFFIN AND STUART SMITH | The Press Democrat The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are…
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Podcast 698 – “Save Our Small Farms” Stuart Smith, Lindsay Hoopes & Heather Griffin, Napa Valley
Ray Fister | Life Between the Vines | I recently had an opportunity to sit down with three Napa Valley vintners to discuss several law suits which have been in the news. Lindsay Hoopes founded her winery in Yountville in…
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Federal judge puts Hoopes Vineyard lawsuit on hold amid ongoing Napa County dispute
A federal judge has paused a lawsuit by Hoopes Vineyard and two other wineries challenging Napa County’s land use rules, saying it can’t proceed while a related case is still active in state court.
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Napa Needs a New Kind of Governance
BY ALDER YARROW | VINOGRAPHY | Napa County has been biting the hand that feeds it for a long time. But now it seems intent upon dismembering the body itself. Under increased industry scrutiny and in the face of ongoing legal…
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“This Aggression Will Not Stand, Man”: Napa Wineries Challenge Regulatory Overreach in Federal Court
By Joe Campbell | Wine Bulletin | In the heart of Napa Valley, a significant legal battle is underway as three family-owned wineries—Hoopes Vineyard, Summit Lake Vineyards & Winery, and Smith-Madrone Winery—take on Napa County in federal court. This confrontation echoes…
