Veterinarian wants to offer wine to humans in her waiting room
The Wine Country Veterinary Hospital in Windsor lives up to its name in the details — its logo features a grapevine, wine bottles hang on the office wall and a small wooden sign to the right of the front desk reads “I just want to drink wine and pet my dog.”
But when the Sonoma County practice’s owner started serving actual wine to her customers, the town erupted with debate: Should a veterinary office be serving wine?
“I just thought it would be a fun way to integrate that we live in Wine Country and so many of my clients are involved in the industry,” veterinarian Jessica Klein said. “I never expected there to be so much drama around it.”
Klein tried to get her license from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control after
someone complained about her serving wine to customers without one. The agency said Klein could continue as long as she received approval from the Windsor Town Council. When she turned to the council to get an alcohol license, residents quickly took to online comments and forums to voice their opinions.
She presented her case to the council on Aug. 2. When it came time to vote, there was a 2-2 deadlock because Councilman Dominic Foppoli was absent. The final vote was postponed until Wednesday.
Windsor Mayor Deborah Fudge voted against Klein’s proposal. She said any sort of doctor’s office isn’t an appropriate place to serve wine.
Beyond that, she said, it would set a precedent for other businesses to come forward and ask for the same thing, which could have larger consequences.
“Even though we live in Wine Country, our focus is on families,” she said. “We don’t want to become just a wine destination. It’s just not the vibe the Windsor citizens want.”
Fudge said she and other residents are worried about the town becoming a major tourist destination. If the council allows wine to be served in businesses, it could open a floodgate.
She compared the situation to Healdsburg, just north of Windsor. What used to be a family town, Healdsburg is now a major wine and tourist destination in Sonoma County. The town is just 3.6 square miles, but has 29 tasting rooms and more than 40 restaurants.
“A little tourism is fine, but it got out of hand to the north of us,” Fudge said. “It’s really about the bigger picture.”
Councilman Bruce Okrepkie agrees with Fudge and plans to vote against Klein’s request a second time. He said wine isn’t necessary for a professional organization.
“You go to the veterinarian for the veterinarian,” he said. “I just think it’s not the right setting for it.”
Councilman Sam Salmon disagrees. He visited Klein’s office after the council’s first vote and said he got a much clearer picture of the office and Klein herself.
“It is my opinion that Jessica Klein intends to build her business through her care of not only her customers’ pets but of her customers themselves,” Salmon wrote in an email. “It is exactly this kind of care and commitment that builds community. It is this caring and thoughtful business model that we as a town should embrace.”
Klein said the reason she wanted to serve wine was to make customers feel welcome and relaxed in the office. A medical environment can feel cold and sterile, and she wanted her office to feel the opposite.
All of her clients have shown support for her idea, but other Windsor residents disapprove. Klein said she has stayed off social media to avoid getting caught up in the arguments.
As for the town council vote, she said, she has no idea whether they will grant her request.
“It’s a hospitality gesture, and that’s all it has been,” she said. “I just wanted to make owners feel like they are just as appreciated as their pets.”