Chateau Diana swaps Zinfandel vines for 3,000 sunflowers to attract visitors

Chateau Diana, a family winery founded in 1981 in Healdsburg, has taken 1.25 acres of Zinfandel grapes out of production and replaced them with a field of 3,000 sunflowers. Co-owner Corey Manning explained that the move aims to prevent the sight of barren vineyards that has become common across the region and to provide a visually appealing backdrop for wine tasting. He added that the sunflowers reflect his wife Emily’s love of the flower and build on a planting effort that began in 2022.

The new setting is intended to attract younger visitors seeking a more experiential outing. In addition to wine, the winery donates roughly 10,000 pounds of produce each year to the nonprofit Farm to Pantry, which feeds families in need. The change mirrors a broader trend, with thousands of acres of vines removed across California over the past ten months.