Flying Goat Cellars has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Santa Barbara County’s controversial Wine Business Improvement District, arguing the county cannot force wineries to fund and join a private trade organization against their will.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, names the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors and the Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association as defendants. It marks the first major legal challenge to Santa Barbara County’s Wine BID since the program was approved in February 2025, and could potentially have broader implications for similar wine marketing districts operating throughout the state.
Represented by the Goldwater Institute, Flying Goat owners Norm Yost and Kate Griffith contend the county’s Wine BID (Business Improvement District) ordinance violates constitutional protections by requiring wineries to pay mandatory fees and become members of the Vintners’ Association…