How many tasting rooms are too many? Some Sonoma locals think the 33 in the vicinity of the town's central square, the Sonoma Plaza, are simply too many.

A mix of local residents and merchants have logged complaints with the city council to promote a more balanced retail mix and keep a lid on spiralling rents. A planned vote on a moratorium on new tasting rooms turned into a stalemate last month as the council decided to dedicate more time to the issue.

Residents want greater retail diversity in Sonoma town, according to Padi Selwyn, a Sonoma resident and one of the co-founders of Preserve Rural Sonoma County, an organization dedicated to protecting the area's rural character. It's a tight balancing act when both the county and town know how much revenue they get from wine-loving visitors.