Letter: Nice day for a winery wedding
by Julie Ann Kodmur, Napa Valley Register, July 15, 2026
Let’s imagine, for a moment, that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce had chosen to get married in Napa Valley instead of Madison Square Garden. Given that reports say they gave the 100 guests at their rehearsal dinner diamond Champagne flutes, it’s not exactly an unimaginable scenario.
Instead of Paul McCartney singing “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” maybe Neil Diamond could have serenaded guests with “Red Red Wine.”
Imagine if the millions reportedly spent on the wedding had flowed into Napa Valley’s economy instead. Instead of Cartier watches, perhaps each of the guests would have gone home with a bottle of Napa Valley wine. Instead of couture handbags and a vintage Mustang as prizes, guests might have received weekends at Napa Valley resorts, winery tastings, restaurant dinners, hot-air balloon rides, spa treatments and mud baths.
Now imagine the economic ripple effect: caterers, florists, photographers, musicians, transportation companies, chauffeurs, rental firms, hotels, restaurants, wineries, retailers, event planners and hundreds of employees — all benefiting from a single event.
Oops. That would be a nightmare in the eyes of four wine industry groups (Napa Valley Vintners, Napa Valley Grapegrowers, Napa Farm Bureau and Winegrowers of Napa County). In April, these groups presented a joint statement to the Board of Supervisors which proposed regulatory updates except for weddings, as referenced in the Winery Definition Ordinance: “Expand permissible wine marketing activities, excluding weddings.”
Why would they do that?
Step back and look at Napa Valley today. Wineries are closing. Vineyards are being removed or left unharvested. Wine consumption is declining. If there was ever a time to encourage creativity and new sources of agricultural income, this is it.
Former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made that point in 2024 when he urged agriculture to diversify by “creating new market opportunities… and thus new income opportunities for family farmers.”
I was reminded of all this after attending a lovely wedding at a Sonoma County winery recently. The event was elegant, seamlessly managed and undoubtedly generated significant revenue for local businesses. Sonoma has figured it out. So have Mendocino, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara and countless other wine regions. Agriculture evolves because it has to.
Allowing a limited number of carefully-regulated winery weddings in Napa Valley won’t usher in armageddon. Napa wineries already know how to manage visitors and events responsibly. Weddings would support farming, create jobs, generate tax revenue and introduce new people to Napa Valley and its wines — many of whom would return as lifelong customers.
If Napa County is truly committed to preserving agriculture, it must allow agriculture to evolve and be competitive with our neighboring counties.
The real threat isn’t a few weddings. It’s losing the agriculture we’re trying to save. If we refuse to adapt in these tough times, we won’t have any vineyards left.
Julie Ann Kodmur
St. Helena