California Ag Network

Tag: Family Winemakers of California

  • California Senate Pulls American Wine Legislation from Agenda

    AB 1585 was withdrawn from a Senate committee hearing this morning and will not be heard this year. This means the bill is defeated for this legislative session.

    According to a release sent by the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) and Family Winemakers of California (FWC), the decision to pull the bill was not a reflection of a lack of support. AB 1585 passed the Assembly without a single “no” vote, earned the backing of wine grape, wine, agricultural and consumer organizations from across California and the nation and generated more than 10,000 letters from Californians urging senators to act. Those efforts ultimately did not move the Senate. AB 1585, co-sponsored by the CAWG and FWC, would have required wine labeled “American” and sold in California to be made entirely from domestic grapes.

    “This is a deeply disappointing outcome for California growers, wineries and consumers,” said CAWG President Natalie Collins. “California has a long history of leading on transparency and higher standards, yet a bill that passed the Assembly 67-0 and simply asked whether wine labeled ‘American’ should be made from American grapes never received an honest debate in the Senate. At a time when growers are removing vineyards and family wineries are struggling, it is troubling that preserving the ability to blend foreign wine into products labeled ‘American’ proved more important than strengthening consumer trust. In the end, the interests of a handful of global beverage companies carried more weight than the voices of California growers, family wineries and consumers.”

    “While this is a temporary setback, the true loss today belongs to the consumers who were denied a meaningful step forward in choice and clarity,” said FWC Board President GinaLisa Tamayo. “Family-owned wineries are built on transparency, and we firmly believe we are on the right side of this issue. The core challenges this bill sought to address are not going away. We will continue to stand with the bill’s supporters and advocate for truth in labeling.”

    CAWG and FWC said they are grateful for the leadership of Assemblymembers Connolly and Ransom in fighting for truth in labeling and for the California growers and wineries who are truly behind the American name.

    “This fight is not over,” said Collins. “But today should be a wake-up call. If we cannot agree that ‘American wine’ should mean American grapes at this critical moment in our industry, then we have a much bigger problem than labeling rules. How is California’s iconic wine industry supposed to rebuild when members of our own industry and their lobbying groups are fighting against American grapes in American wine? That is the question every grower, winery and member of this industry in California should be asking today.”

    — Story Contributed by the California Association of Winegrape Growers and Family Winemakers of California

  • American Wine Truth in Labelling Bill Advances

    The California State Assembly approved AB 1585 (Connolly and Ransom), legislation that would require wine labeled “American” and sold or bottled in California to be made entirely from American-grown grapes. The bill passed with bipartisan support on a 67-0 vote and now advances to the California State Senate.

    Sponsored by the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) and Family Winemakers of California (FWC), AB 1585 would establish a truth-in-labeling standard to improve transparency for consumers and reinforce the integrity of American wine labeling.  Under current labeling regulations, wine labeled “American” may contain up to 25% of foreign-grown grapes while still carrying the American appellation designation.

    “A 67-0 vote sends an unmistakable message: California stands behind its growers, wineries, and farmworkers, and behind honest wine labeling,” said CAWG President Natalie Collins. “AB 1585 is common sense – consumers choosing ‘American’ wine deserve to get American grapes. We’re grateful for the Assembly’s unanimous support and look forward to the Senate taking up this important consumer protection.”

    “Family Winemakers of California is proud to stand alongside CAWG and the more than 400 industry members who have championed this legislation,” said GinaLisa Tamayo, Board President of Family Winemakers of California. “We are encouraged by the Assembly’s strong support and eager to carry this momentum into the Senate.”

      The progress made this week is another step in a legislative process that will continue through August. AB 1585 will next be considered by the California State Senate Governmental Organization Committee in June.

  • Committee Advances Wine Labeling Legislation

    The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) and Family Winemakers of California (FWC) announced that AB 1585, American Wine Truth in Labeling legislation, cleared its first committee hearing on an 18-0 bipartisan vote.

    AB 1585 would require any wine labeled “American” be made from 100% American-grown wine grapes. This standard aligns the national designation with the same requirement California applies to wines labeled “California.”

    “Today’s vote is an important first step toward ensuring that when a bottle says ‘American,’ it means American,” said CAWG President Natalie Collins. “California’s wine community has invested significantly in building the American wine brand, and we are grateful the committee recognized what is at stake, for growers, wineries, communities, and the consumers who trust what’s on the label. This effort has been strengthened by a clear and unified voice across the industry. We thank the committee for its leadership and look forward to advancing this bill.”

    “Family Winemakers of California is proud to see this legislation move forward,” said FWC Board President GinaLisa Tamayo. “Truth in labeling isn’t just good policy — it’s the foundation of what our members have built their reputations on. When a bottle says ‘American,’ consumers deserve to know it means exactly that. Today’s vote is an important first step, and we’ll be with this bill every step of the way.”

    The recent hearing marks the beginning of a legislative process that will continue through August. AB 1585 must clear several additional steps, including the Assembly Appropriations Committee, where the bill heads next, before the legislature’s August 31 deadline to act on 2026 session legislation.

    — Story contributed by the California Association of Winegrape Growers and Family Winemakers of California

  • CAWG Advancing, Pushing Back on CA Legislation

    CAWG is actively working on several policy priorities this year, including three bills sponsored or co-sponsored by the association.

    • AB 1585 (Connolly, D–San Rafael; Ransom, D–Tracy)
      Co-sponsored by CAWG and Family Winemakers of California, this bill would require that wine labeled as “American” be made from 100 percent American-grown winegrapes. The measure aligns the American designation with California’s long-standing requirement that wines labeled “California” contain 100 percent California grapes, strengthening truth-in-labeling standards and supporting domestic grape growers.
    • SB 921 (Grove, R–Bakersfield; Hurtado, D–Bakersfield)
      Co-sponsored by CAWG and the California Farm Bureau, this bipartisan legislation would create a payroll tax credit to fully offset the cost of overtime wages paid by agricultural employers. The proposal aims to provide critical relief for growers facing rising labor costs while maintaining overtime protections for farmworkers.
    • SB 917 (Laird, D–Santa Cruz)
      Co-sponsored by CAWG and Family Winemakers of California, this bill would allow small, non-estate wineries that purchase local grapes to sell wine and offer tastings at certified farmers’ markets. The measure supports direct-to-consumer connections and strengthens local grape supply chains.

    A significant part of CAWG’s work involves responding to legislation that could negatively impact growers and ensuring lawmakers understand the real-world consequences of those proposals.

    Several bills introduced this session have raised concerns for the winegrape industry, including:

    • AB 2646 (Krell, D–Sacramento)
      This proposal would establish a minimum wage for agricultural workers of $19.75 per hour, along with an annual cost-of-living increase.
    • AB 2227 (Connolly)
      The bill would increase bond requirements for farm labor contractors by linking them to gross revenues rather than payroll and would also require similar bonding for foreign labor contractors operating as farm labor contractors.
    • AB 2336 (Macedo, R–Tulare) and AB 1550 (Sanchez, R–Rancho Santa Margarita)
      These bills would exempt overtime compensation from income tax for employees. However, the federal version of this policy excluded agricultural workers, and CAWG members have made clear that any similar proposal in California should include agricultural employees.

    — By the California Association of Winegrowers