Santa Barbara County is one step closer to creating a vintners’ business improvement district, which could generate $1.65 million annually and better market the county as a top destination for wine tourists. If approved, the district would focus on promoting Santa Barbara as a premier wine region against competitors like Paso Robles and Monterey. However, a similar effort was attempted four years ago but faced opposition from smaller vineyards and was withdrawn in 2020 due to concerns about the one percent levy on gross sales imposed by the district.
The proposed district would require a majority vote among the county’s wine growers, with votes weighted based on each operator’s gross sales. This data would need to be released to a private consultant for the voting process. If over 50 percent of all vintners agree to the improvement district, it would move forward. The Santa Barbara County Vintners Association emphasized the importance of the district for maintaining regional competitiveness.
Despite this progress, some concerns remain about the potential impact of the improvement district on smaller vineyards, with worries that the financial burden may be too high. The debate surrounding the formation of the business improvement district reflects ongoing discussions within the county’s wine industry about how to best promote Santa Barbara County as a leader in the wine market.
