Board of Supervisors denies Water Audit appeal, upholds approval for Bonnie’s Vineyard winery with added conditions

The Napa County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on May 6 to deny an appeal by Water Audit California and uphold the Planning Commission’s December 2024 approval of a new winery use permit for the Bonnie’s Vineyard parcel at 155 Schellinger Lane. The board included additional conditions staff proposed during the hearing: a requirement that a fourth, currently unused well on the parcel be destroyed unless it can be shown already destroyed; a condition limiting winery guest access to Schellinger Lane; and enhanced flow‑regulation, metering and monitoring of all three on‑site wells to ensure overall parcel groundwater use remains at or below the approved limit.

The project as approved by the Planning Commission would construct a roughly 10,996-square-foot, 30,000‑gallon winery with seven-day production and visitation, tours and tastings capped at 45 daily visitors, two large events per year (up to 150) and nine smaller events (up to 80). Project materials describe 20 regular parking spaces with on‑site overflow parking outside of stream setbacks and three 10,000‑gallon tanks that will be filled from the winery well. Staff said the parcel’s overall groundwater was limited by condition to 10.16 acre‑feet per year for all uses on the…