Central Coast wineries to move tasting outdoors under governor order

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Wineries and wine tasting rooms are among those sectors that need to move business outdoors, according to Governor Gavin Newsom's order Wednesday.

The Miller Family Wine Company in Santa Maria is making immediate changes in light of the governor's announcement.

They have a winery in Santa Maria and the J Wilkes tasting room in Santa Barbara.

Everything in the tasting room is moving outside. They already have outside seating, but the winery is working with officials to expand its footprint to serve more people.

At this point, this does mean they will have fewer customers and workers. J Wilkes will be serving food with their wine to remain open with the bar closures.

The tasting room is taking extra measures to sanitize everything.

"Working more with staff training to make sure they know the protocol and know that this is not something that you only do when you're not busy," said Wes Hagen, brand ambassador for the Miller Family Wine Company. "There's a lot of people, especially vulnerable people, that are counting on us doing exactly the right thing."

At for the wine company itself, everyone that can work remotely is. That opened up space for those working on site to physical distance.

Since they are selling less wine to the restaurant industry, they have pivoted to also sell direct to consumer and online. Those sales have increased about one thousand percent from March to May.

During the pandemic, they are also offering more educational programming on social media and YouTube.

Hagen said if you can't get out, now is a good time to enjoy a good bottle of wine at home with those you love.