June 5, 2025
Mayor and Town Council,
I was born and raised in Yountville, and my family has been operating a tasting room at 6512 Washington Street since 2006. As a child, I remember the streets being vibrant and filled with great places to shop.
Locals and tourists would love walking through town looking at all the artisan goods available for sale.
Once finished with shopping, guests would then dine at one of the many restaurants in town before heading home. It was the perfect day!
Over the last decade, shops have closed and reopened elsewhere. While the town of Yountville still boasts many restaurants and tasting rooms, all the unique shops that once lined the streets and filled the Vintage 1870 building have disappeared. Napa, St. Helena and Calistoga have leapfrogged Yountville and currently offer more diversity and more reasons to visit, which is a problem that Yountville needs to address, especially with the recent closures of Coqueta and La Calenda, as well as Bouchon and Bistro Jeanty no longer offering lunch Monday-Thursday.
I think the town council would want to welcome creative retail ideas with open arms to breathe life back into a town that seems to be on its last breath, which is why I am writing to express my full support of Colby and her family adding retail space to the Town of Yountville.
Sincerely,
Ryan C. Hill