‘Wine Train’ on the Right Track

The state Supreme Court made the right call last week in refusing to stop a controversial “wine train” through the Napa Valley.

Opponents of the wine train, operated by a tourism company that purchased the right of way from Southern Pacific, claim it will only exacerbate problems caused by the legion of tourists who visit the small valley by bringing 400,000 more visitors a year to the popular wine-growing region. Certainly no one who has visited the narrow valley on a summer weekend can help but be saddened at the parade of cars and trucks that jam Highway 29 from Napa to Calistoga. But the wine train’s backers say it may cut traffic by letting tourists visit wineries by rail.

The court did not rule on the merits of those perhaps-unresolvable arguments. It simply opted for a strict interpretation of the state’s Environmental Quality Act, ruling that the California Public Utilities Commission can’t set all kinds of conditions designed to put the wine train out of business. The court put the responsibility for the train back where it belongs--with Napa County and the cities along Highway 29.

The Napa Valley’s vineyards may not be as much of a California treasure as the cliffs of Big Sur or Yosemite’s waterfalls. But, as in Yosemite Valley, it might be wise for tourists to give up some amenities in order to keep the Napa Valley farmlands as unspoiled as possible. Unfortunately, not enough people in the valley feel the same way--at least not enough to make the tough decisions needed to protect the region from runaway tourism.

The wine country is divided over how much land should be devoted to grapes and how much to tourism. For a long time, folks there had it both ways-- sprawling vineyards plus chic inns and restaurants. It simply couldn’t last; now some choices have to be made.

The wine train’s operations should be controlled but at the local level. And that’s where the effort to protect the region from urban development must begin, too. The rest of us can only hope that residents of the Napa Valley make wise decisions, because they’re the guardians of a very special place.