California winery ditches grapes for unusual crop in latest blow to troubled industry

A Sonoma County winery yanked its iconic grapevines and replaced them with thousands of sunflowers, as the state’s multibillion-dollar wine industry is heading down the drain.

The family-owned winery Chateau Diana in Healdsburg, removed 1.25 acres of Zinfandel grapes and replaced them with 3,000 sunflowers to draw visitors.

Vineyard co-owner Corey Manning, who inherited his love of flowers from his mom, didn’t want customers coming to the winery and seeing another empty field — a sight that has become all too common across California Wine Country.

“I figured I would just try it out and see if they liked it. I’ve been shocked to see how excited people are to drink wine among the sunflowers,” Manning told The Press Democrat.

“My wife, Emily, loves sunflowers, so we began planting all different kinds in 2022 and saving the seeds. Each year, we’d grow more and more, so the field got bigger and bigger,” he added.

For Manning, replacing the empty land with sunflowers was also a smart business decision that allowed him to create an “Instagrammable” experience where visitors can sip wine in a pretty setting.

Instead of solely selling wine, Manning wanted the traditional wine tasting culture that was becoming less popular with younger people feel like a fun, unique experience.

Since 2008, he has also grown about 10,000 pounds of fresh produce annually for Farm to Pantry, a local nonprofit that feeds families in need.

Chateau Diana was founded by Manning’s parents in 1981, and its decision to remove 1.25 acres of Zinfandel comes as 2,711 acres of vines were removed in the county between October 2024 and August 2025, according to a report.

In total, 38,134 acres were removed across California over the 10-month stretch.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters