The state’s wine industry has been hit hard by Covid-19, which not only shut down wineries to visitors (though, as essential businesses, they are still allowed to produce wine), but also restaurants and hotels. Many wineries, like Fontanella Family Winery and St. Supery Estate Vineyards & Winery, have launched virtual tastings.
Challenges will remain once the region’s wineries are allowed to reopen. According to Emma Swain CEO of St. Supery Estate Vineyards is difficult to predict how many tourists will visit until corona virus vaccine is available.
In early June, hotels, vacation rentals, bars, restaurants, and wineries in California were able to begin reopening following the lifting of lockdown measures that were put in place in mid-March to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.
Sonoma County Tourism is encouraging everyone to follow public health authorities’ recommendations
and to review the Safe Travels Promise as a way to keep our community and visitors safe.
May and June are the start of Napa Valley’s peak season, when the region typically attracts an average of 3.8 million visitors. In 2018, they spent more than $2.23 billion, according to Visit Napa Valley.
In early June, hotels, vacation rentals, bars, restaurants, and wineries in California were able to begin reopening following the lifting of lockdown measures that were put in place in mid-March to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.
There are currently no restrictions on travel to California from within the United States, and all of the state’s major airports, including Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport, remain open with flights operating.
On June 5, Napa Valley became the first region in California to announce that it was officially welcoming back travelers. Hotels, wineries, tasting rooms, and bars in Napa Valley have been given approval to reopen to guests by the Napa County Public Health Officer. Restaurants in the popular wine region began to reopen for indoor and outdoor dining on May 20, along with retail stores.
The majority of hotels in Napa Valley such as Carneros Resort & Spa, where guests get their own spacious cottage in a sprawling property surrounding by scenic vineyards; the hip Calistoga Motor Lodge & Spa in one of the region’s most charming towns; Calistoga Ranch for a truly luxurious escape; Los Alcobas, a chic adults-only retreat steps from St. Helena; and Meadowood Napa Valley, a chalet meets five-star resort nestled into a private canyon.
Many of the region’s restaurants are open as well for either delivery or takeout and/or for dining inside or outside. A complete list of what’s open and what’s not appears on the Visit Napa Valley website. Wineries and tasting rooms are open by appointment only, so call ahead to make a reservation.
Sonoma County wineries, breweries and distilleries are excited to welcome guests back to their properties. Reservations are required, so please call ahead to reserve your experience.
Hotels are following recommendations from state and county health officials to limit the spread of COVID 19. They let the rooms sit for 24 hours after guests leave. Hotel rooms are cleaned by housekeeping staff and empty for another 24 hours. Guest are greeted by hand sanitizing stations and required to do one thing, to have a mask on. If they don’t have one, they are made available in the front lobby. The use of masks and social distancing is mandatory in both in and out doors until seated with your household. It is important to make advanced reservations. Hotels in Napa, which there are more than 100, have reopened or plan to this month. The 132-room DoubleTree, like many other hotels in Napa, also has a spa, fitness center and pool. Those elements of a hotel property remain on lockdown. Everything will have to be packaged individually, and servers will be wearing masks and gloves.
However, Gov. Gavin Newsom again extended those restrictions for indoor seating and bars to close including museums, entertainment centers and theaters.
