CA Fair Plan Insurance to Offer Coverage for Wineries Starting Feb. 1

On Friday, January 21, 2022, the California Department of Insurance approved changes to the FAIR Plan — the state’s property “insurer of last resort” — that will allow it to offer commercial coverage for farm structures starting Feb. 1. Wine Institute worked with the insurance department and FAIR Plan to ensure approval of the new rate plan so policies would be available ahead of the 2022 fire season.

Since many insurers have both cancelled policies and no longer offer coverage to wineries in wildfire areas, this was an essential step to ensure the continued health of our industry. The changes directly stem from the passage of SB 11 (Susan Rubio), which passed the legislature in July 2021. SB 11 was necessary to ensure the FAIR Plan could offer policies to wineries in fire-prone areas.