(NVR) - Approving new wineries isn’t always a tortuous, hourslong affair for the Napa County Planning Commission.

Commissioners OK’d two wineries within 40 minutes. The catch is that both are in industrial areas near the airport south of the city of Napa, not in the county’s agricultural areas.

Proposed wineries in the agricultural areas have touched off many recent debates. Issues range from visual clutter to removing vineyards for new buildings to whether winery tourism glitz is overshadowing farming.

No one opposed having two new wineries in an area where warehouses and office buildings dominate the landscape.

“I think it’s great to see these type of projects not on ag land,” Commissioner Anne Cottrell said at Thursday’s commission meeting.

Sawyer Cellars won approval for a 10,000-gallon-a-year winery in an existing building at 761 Technology Way. The winery expects to have up to eight visitors daily at its tasting room.

Charles Sawyer has made wine in Napa since 1991. He has teamed with winemaker Brad Warner since 1996. Sawyer Cellars makes merlot, cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc and Meritage.

“There’s a real sort of long history and commitment,” said Beth Painter on behalf of Sawyer Cellars.

Leaf and Vine Winery is to be located in an existing building at 190 Camino Oruga Suite 24. It won approval to make up to 18,500 gallons of wine annually and expects up to 30 visitors daily.

Having a local winery will save on truck traffic. Leaf and Vine currently makes wine on Treasure Island near San Francisco. That means trucking grapes from Napa and Sonoma counties, said Paul Bartelt of Bartelt Engineering, who spoke on behalf of the applicant.

Commissioners noted that winery waste will be hauled to the East Bay Municipal Utility District (MUD) plant in Oakland. That is part of a bigger issue involving the Napa Sanitation District’s inability to treat winery waste at a cost competitive with East Bay MUD.

“I think this will be the 16th winery at the airport industrial area,” Commissioner Terry Scott said. “At some point in time, we’re going to have a lot of tanks and a lot of trucks and a lot of trips we’re going to have to deal with.”