March 6, 2009
Wineries, farms lure tourists up the hill
Foothills agritourism on the rise as vacationers stay close to home
Celia Lamb, Sacramento Business Journal

Unemployment is up, retirement accounts are down, the housing market is in crisis and credit is crunched.

For Holly's Hill Vineyards, it's a fine time to expand.

The small winery in El Dorado County received a building permit last month to add 4,100 square feet for wine storage and production to its existing 2,604-square-foot operation. The winery owners have spent two years planning the project. Business is good, and it doesn't make sense to wait any longer, winemaker Josh Bendick said.

Small agritourism businesses in the Sierra foothills are experiencing a familiar phenomenon: Hard times can be good for them. In economic downturns people stop spending money on expensive air travel to exotic destinations. They're more likely to take advantage of local recreation opportunities, as they did after the technology industry downturn and Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

Customers might not spend as much, but they still want wine.

"Our sales were still up last year over previous years," said Bendick, whose winery started operating in 2001. "But our growth was not as high. January traffic was very busy. The weather was beautiful for January. We had people picnicking in the sun."...
Read the entire article online at the Sacramento Business Jouranl

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