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Stu Smith, owner of Smith-Madrone Winery in St. Helena poses for a portrait on April 5, 2022. Stu supports the development of the Walt Ranch because he believes that they are following the rules and regulations. A fight over plans to plant a vineyard in the mountains above Napa Valley is coming to a head, with the county set to cast a pivotal vote on a project that has been at the center of a battle over where grapes should be grown in the nation's premier wine-growing region. A Texas billionaire couple proposed the Walt Ranch vineyard a decade ago, but have been blocked by lawsuits and procedural appeals by opponents citing everything from impact on limited water resources to despoiling a pristine landscape. The latest issue centers on an argument that the vineyard would hurt efforts to combat climate change by removing 14,000 trees. Andri Tambunan for The Wall Street Journal.

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Filename: _AWT1381.jpg
Copyright: Andri Tambunan
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Contained in galleries: Editorial

Stu Smith, owner of Smith-Madrone Winery in St. Helena poses for a portrait on April 5, 2022. Stu supports the development of the Walt Ranch because he believes that they are following the rules and regulations. A fight over plans to plant a vineyard in the mountains above Napa Valley is coming to a head, with the county set to cast a pivotal vote on a project that has been at the center of a battle over where grapes should be grown in the nation's premier wine-growing region. A Texas billionaire couple proposed the Walt Ranch vineyard a decade ago, but have been blocked by lawsuits and procedural appeals by opponents citing everything from impact on limited water resources to despoiling a pristine landscape. The latest issue centers on an argument that the vineyard would hurt efforts to combat climate change by removing 14,000 trees. Andri Tambunan for The Wall Street Journal.