Governor Newsom Says California Winery Tasting Rooms Can Reopen

SAN FRANCISCO – Governor Gavin Newsom announced today that California winery tasting rooms can reopen to visitors where permitted by counties. The state-approved guidance for the health and safety of guests and employees is here.

“Our wineries are excited to reopen and welcome guests, and we thank the governor for his leadership during this process,” said Wine Institute President and CEO Bobby Koch. “Wine Institute released tasting room reopening protocols a month ago so our wineries could prepare and train their staff to be ready for reopening.”

Wine Institute worked with an infectious disease expert at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and senior OHSA legal expert to provide guidance to wineries and received extensive input from its Board, committees, member wineries and regional winery associations.

Wine Institute’s work, which was a critical step towards reopening, demonstrates that the wine industry is serious about guest and employee safety. Under the state guidance, wineries will be providing daily wellness screenings for employees, requiring six-foot social distancing for both guests and employees, configuring guest seating to comply with physical distancing and implementing procedures to manage consumer flow, among other protocols subject to state and county requirements. Guests are advised to call wineries in advance to plan and make reservations for visits.