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Lodi News-Sentinel: News - Arampo winery accused of violating the VAliamson Act: N... Page 2 of 3 "There are a lot of jealous people (at the Farm Bureau). They don't harass anyone else. They want to make an example out of us. It's unfair, it's wrong." Viaggio is nestled on 26.2 acres between the Taddei-Bender road intersection and the Mokelumne River, west of Lower Sacramento Road. Raverty has one acre of winegrapes on his property and another 10 acres of cabernet down the road. He also grows 17 acres of walnuts. "I have so many people who come through here who love us, love our facility," Raverty said. "I've had people come here from all over the country." In a response to the state Department of Conservation, Rick Griffin, a county senior planner, said that Viaggio complies with the Williamson Act for two reasons — all structures on the property are used for agriculture and wine tasting and marketing events held there are "accessory uses" to having a wine cellar. California Department of Conservation officials declined to immediately comment. "I can't give you a comment because it is under investigation," conservation spokesman Don Drysdale said on Thursday. On March 30, the Board of Supervisors allowed Viaggio to increase its marketing events from a capacity of 150 people to 370, which the Farm Bureau also contested on the grounds that a fundraiser or corporate event isn't agriculture-related. Supervisor Ken Vogel, who voted against increasing the size of events at Viaggio along with Steve Bestolarides, has several questions about Viaggio. "Does it meet the way the winery ordinance was set up?" Vogel asked rhetorically. "The Farm Bureau said that events should be ancillary to the sale of wine, not the other way around. "I'm concerned about impact on production agriculture," Vogel added. "It could be a problem down the line for the Williamson Act." Raverty said he tried unsuccessfully to get Farm Bureau President Phil Brumley to tour Viaggio and discuss the Farm Bureau's concerns. "I have put in multiple phone calls trying to have a meeting with the president of the Farm Bureau," Raverty said. "I don't believe they know what we do and who we are." Brumley didn't return calls for comment Thursday and Monday. Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com. Williamson Act at a glance http://www.lodinews.com/news/article_945e6a06-8ec0-5610-ba7b-1 fcOd8e8ac 1 a.html?mo... 7/14/2010