Stonestreet Winery application moves ahead; planning process will include Environmental Impact Report.

HEALDSBURG, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 14, 1997--After more than a month of conversations with neighbors and briefings of local organizations and political leaders, an application to build an 8,000-ton Stonestreet Winery in the Alexander Valley just south of Jimtown will be filed with Sonoma County this week. And, based on input from neighbors, Stonestreet is soliciting proposals to conduct an Environmental Impact Report to help answer questions raised by critics of the project.

Randy Clifton, Senior Vice President of Farming & Development for Kendall-Jackson, said the EIR will likely add significantly to the development cost, both in real dollars and in time. However, Clifton said it is time well spent if it provides solid evidence that the impact of the winery will be minimal in the Alexander Valley.

"While we are certain that an EIR is not necessary, we have indicated from the beginning that Stonestreet has always been and will always be a good neighbor, and good neighbors listen hard and act accordingly," he said. "We plan to be part of the Alexander Valley for a very long time and the EIR process is consistent with the actions of an environmentally-sensitive, community-oriented organization."

The 160,000 square-foot winery designed by Architects Backen, Arrigoni & Ross is largely underground, with remaining buildings appearing as simple agrarian barns using wood and stone in neutral earth-tone colors. Italian Cypress trees and other landscaping, in addition to the winery's siting against a gentle slope, help minimize the visual impact. Only six acres of the 172-acre site will be used for the winery.

Clifton said the application process will move ahead even as EIR consultants are selected and analysis begins. "Our goal remains to have the process completed as quickly as possible so that construction can be completed in a timely manner, ideally for the 1998 crush," he said.

EIRs typically review the impacts of a project against a long list of considerations including site, air, water, noise, plant and animal life, lighting, natural resources, transportation, energy and more. The California Environmental Quality Act process specifies 23 areas of inquiry as a guide, with local agencies able to adapt and specify their own additional areas of concern.

The design of the winery has anticipated and minimized potential impacts, said Clifton. For example, traffic impacts have been reduced by putting most winery traffic on roads within the estate property, and by using estate-grown grapes or grapes from vineyards nearby the proposed winery site.

Stonestreet Winery currently operates a facility in the southern tip of Alexander Valley. Renderings and basic information about the project are available on the Internet at address http://kj.com/stonestreet/

CONTACT: Stonestreet Winery, Healdsburg

James Caudill, 707/525-6229

[e-mail]

Mike Lynch, 707/525-6279