Margins are tightening. Contracts are shifting. Costs are rising faster than grape prices.
For many Napa Valley growers, the challenge right now is not farming well, it is making the numbers work. That is exactly where the Napa Valley Grapegrowers is focused in 2026.
Through federal funding secured by NVG, growers now have access to complimentary, one-on-one professional services designed to help vineyard businesses make clearer decisions, reduce risk, and plan with confidence in an increasingly uncertain market.
This is practical support you can apply directly to your operation.

Personalized financial analysis with Brotemarkle & Davis
Work directly with agricultural financial experts to gain a clear picture of your vineyard’s cost structure, revenue, and profitability potential. This insight helps inform budgeting, contract negotiations, and long-term planning.

Customized vineyard marketing audit with Napa Valley Creative Agency
Receive a tailored review of how your vineyard is positioned in today’s market, with specific recommendations to help you market your grapes more effectively and strengthen relationships with winery partners.
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Individualized legal guidance with Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass LLP
Access experienced agricultural attorneys for legal support aligned with the realities of vineyard operations, including contracts, risk management, and business structure considerations.

Collectively, these services represent up to $45,000 in professional support made available to the grower community. The goal is simple: help Napa Valley vineyards stay viable, competitive, and resilient.
No group sessions. No generic advice. Just focused, confidential support tailored to your vineyard.
If you have been meaning to take a closer look at your numbers, rethink your marketing approach, or get clarity on legal questions, this is an opportunity to do so with trusted experts and no out-of-pocket cost.

This episode of Grown in Napa Valley brings together two timely conversations that reflect the cultural, generational, and economic shifts shaping today’s wine industry. In the first segment, host Caleb Mosley speaks with journalist and podcaster Felicity Carter at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium about changing attitudes toward alcohol, health, and moderation. Their discussion explores the rise of wellness culture, generational risk aversion, and how wine is increasingly framed within broader public health narratives. Carter offers perspective on how growers and producers can engage more confidently in these conversations by grounding them in science, history, and wine’s longstanding social role, encouraging pride, visibility, and thoughtful storytelling as tools to navigate uncertainty. 
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The episode then shifts to Carneros for a Glass with a Grower conversation with Philippa Ward and Tim Colla of Saintsbury, recorded amid the energy of the tasting room. Together, they reflect on Saintsbury’s founding vision, Carneros’ role in shaping California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and the winery’s evolution across generations. The conversation highlights the importance of curiosity, collaboration between growers and wineries, and a willingness to innovate while honoring legacy. From vineyard partnerships to new winemaking explorations, the segment underscores how adaptability, stewardship, and shared purpose continue to define resilient brands and communities in Napa Valley.

• “What’s really changed isn’t wine, it’s the culture around alcohol. People don’t talk about wine anymore, they talk about alcohol.” - Felicity Carter 
• “A small amount of alcohol is actually a powerful social technology. It lowers inhibitions, brings people together, and helps communities form.” - Felicity Carter 
• “Saintsbury has always ruled its own way. Even when trends shifted toward bigger, higher-alcohol wines, we stayed true to what we believed in.” - Philippa Ward
• “When we quiet the noise around trends, we can stay focused on making wines that speak honestly to place. They won’t be for everyone—and that’s okay.” - Tim Colla 
  
• “What’s exciting now is seeing longtime supporters alongside an entirely new generation discovering Saintsbury for the first time.” - Philippa Ward
• “Curiosity is how we honor the pioneering spirit Saintsbury was founded on. Exploration is part of our responsibility to this place.” - Tim Colla 
  

What Growers Need to Know
Napa County is moving forward with a new groundwater sustainability fee program to support long-term implementation of the Napa Valley Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP), as required under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).

Beginning in fiscal year 2026–27, groundwater users within the Subbasin will begin paying regulatory fees to fund monitoring, planning, and compliance activities that protect groundwater resources for the long term. These fees are designed to ensure Napa Valley maintains local control of groundwater management while meeting state sustainability requirements.

Program Cost and County Support
The Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) has adopted a proposed annual program budget of approximately $2.47 million. To help reduce the financial burden on groundwater users, Napa County will contribute $500,000 annually to the program, including:

• $300,000 to broadly reduce the overall revenue requirement and lower fee rates for all users
• $100,000 dedicated to self-supplied domestic well users
• ​$100,000 reserved for hardship fee waivers and to support a program reserve fund

After applying the County contribution, approximately $2.17 million per year will be recovered through user fees.

How Fees Are Allocated
Program costs are divided into two main categories:

• Common costs, which provide broad benefits to all groundwater users, including administration, monitoring, data systems, reporting, and regulatory compliance
• Applied groundwater use costs, which are assigned only to large-volume groundwater users, primarily agriculture and public water systems, based on pumping levels

Costs are allocated across three user classes using a five-year average of groundwater pumping:

• Agriculture: approximately 74% of total pumping
• Self-supplied users (mostly domestic wells): approximately 18%
• ​Public water systems: approximately 8%

Agricultural Rates
Agricultural parcels will be billed based on planted acreage using Napa County Assessor crop records. The fee structure includes two components:

• A base rate of $38.58 per acre applied to all planted acres
• ​An additional groundwater irrigation rate of $60.16 per acre

For acreage irrigated primarily with groundwater, the total rate is $98.74 per acre. Dry-farmed acres, or acreage supplied by surface water or recycled water, will pay only the base rate of $38.58 per acre.

The GSA currently assumes that 90% of planted acreage uses groundwater unless growers provide documentation showing otherwise. Growers will have the opportunity in 2026 to report dry-farmed acreage or acreage supplied by alternative water sources before final bills are calculated.

Other User Rates

• Public water systems will be charged $129.87 per acre-foot of groundwater pumped
• Self-supplied domestic well users will be charged $62.58 per parcel

Domestic well owners may apply for hardship waivers, which will be funded through the County’s $100,000 assistance allocation.

Collection and Timing
Fees will begin in fiscal year 2026–27. For agricultural and domestic users, charges will appear on property tax bills starting in December 2026. Public water systems will be billed directly.

Before fees are imposed, Napa County will conduct a formal public notice and hearing process in accordance with California Water Code §10730.

What Growers Should Do Now
To prepare, growers should plan to:

• Review planted acreage records for accuracy
• Identify blocks that are dry-farmed or supplied by surface water or recycled water
• ​Be ready to submit documentation to the GSA when the reporting window opens in 2026

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NVG will continue to monitor the implementation process and share updates to help growers navigate these changes. Protecting groundwater while keeping management local is a shared responsibility, and informed participation will be key to ensuring a fair and effective program for Napa Valley agriculture.

We want to hear from you! If you have questions or concerns, please comment below.