OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
Tony and H.B. converted their large garage into a temporary winery, and Napa County objected. The County did not want to allow sales until the permanent winery building was completed and they also frowned at crushing grapes off site. The County took the Peju’s to court over the matter. The county also voiced concern that the grapes they had grown were crushed at another winery. Today, custom crush and winemaking without a physical location is a common practice in Napa Valley. This is why Tony Peju is often referred to as the father of Custom Crush and Direct-To-Consumer sales.
Eventually, the court asked the planning commission to issue a temporary permit for the garage until the permanent facility was completed. Estate law, which supersedes the county, states that if you grow the fruit and produce the wine, you can sell the wine on premise. Once the first phase of the winery was completed in 1991, there was no longer cause for conflict.
(Pictured: Garage Winery, 1985)