A PROPOSED SONOMA COMMISSION SEEKS TO REPLACE THE GRAPE GROWERS ASSOCATION

Plans to form a Sonoma County Winegrape Commission continue to ferment with a mail-in ballot election to be held in May and June. If growers show a considerable amount of support, the commission will raise more than $1 million on a yearly basis for wine promotion, education and research. However, only Sonoma and Marin county growers who sold more than 25 tons of grapes last year are eligible to vote. Already ten cultivators have volunteered to serve on the board of directors: Mark Houser, Jim Murphy, Duff Bevill, Richard Rued, Joe Dutton, Barb Stiling, Steve Hill, Steve Sangiacomo, John Pelkan and Mark Pasternak. Nick Frey, executive director of the Sonoma County Grape Growers, would become the commission’s president.