Tragedy of the commons……local mom & pop businesses can’t afford to compete so the losers are the locals.
In response to the Sonoma Tasting Room moratorium story….
Tasting rooms ban
EDITOR: Kudos to the Sonoma City Council for pulling the plug on more tasting rooms around the plaza in Sonoma, in light of the current 26 existing establishments with five more approved. Besides ensuring more retail diversity around the square, the moratorium is also smart business.
As the founder of the Silicon Valley Bank Wine Division, Rob McMillan has warned the Sonoma County wine industry: “The greatest obstacle to tasting room profitability is more and more competition from more and more tasting rooms.”
We must all protect and support existing wine and hospitality businesses, especially since the downturn caused by the recent fires. To continue to build and develop more competition will only hurt those who have already invested in our community. It’s just bad business.
PADI SELWYN
Co-founder, Neighbors to Preserve Rural Sonoma County, Sebastopol