Another California wine giant shuts site and axes staff as chaos rips across Napa Valley

"Jackson Family wines has stopped production at its Carneros Hill facility in Sonoma's Carneros region, laying off more than a dozen employees, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notice filed with California authorities on February 12. Communications director Sean Carrol told the SF Chronicle that Carnero's Hill - previously owned by Buena Vista Winery - "served as overflow production capacity and was not tied to any specific brand.""

"Jackson Family Wines is known as one of the top US wine producers, the sixth largest wine company in the country. It owns the Kendall-Jackson label and about 40 other brands, producing around six million cases a year, according to an industry review. More than 25 of those wineries are in the Golden State."

"Considered the world's largest winemaker by volume, Gallo filed a "warning" notice with the California Employment Development Department on Feb. 12, confirming it will permanently pull the cork on the Ranch Winery in St. Helena. Gallo is also slashing staff at some of its other labels, including the Louis M. Martini Winery and the Orin Swift Tasting Room in St. Helena, as well as J Vineyards and Frei Ranch in Healdsburg."

California's wine industry faces significant contraction as major producers shut down operations. Jackson Family Wines, the sixth-largest wine company in the US, closed its Carneros Hill facility in Sonoma, laying off over a dozen employees. The company cited underutilization and consolidation needs. Simultaneously, Gallo, the world's largest winemaker by volume, announced the permanent closure of Ranch Winery in St. Helena and staff reductions across multiple facilities including Louis M. Martini Winery, Orin Swift Tasting Room, J Vineyards, and Frei Ranch. These closures represent the fourth major winery shutdown since 2026, reflecting broader market challenges affecting California's renowned wine-growing regions.

Read at California Post