SANTA ROSA, Calif. —

A plan to help save the struggling wine industry in Sonoma County has caused a rift in the wine community.

Some winemakers in the county are exploring the idea of creating a "Wine Improvement District." That plan involves taking a 1-2% assessment fee from tasting room sales to fund a marketing campaign for the region.

“The wine marketplace is in crisis," said Karissa Kruse, CEO of Sonoma Winegrowers, who is looking into the WID. "We are really feeling it here as we think about how the impact trickles down to so many family businesses.”

However, some think that the extra fee will get passed on to the consumer, raising their prices. They fear consumers won't come to the county if it's more expensive.

"I don't see it being a turn-on for them," said Adam Lee, a Sono

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