After 85 years in San Francisco, the Wine Institute has decided to move its headquarters to Sacramento to be closer to lawmakers and save money.

The institute is a public policy and regulatory advocacy association representing about 1,000 wineries and affiliated businesses. It also supports international market development, scientific research and education programs.

The board made the decision at its March 12 meeting and plans to make the move within the next 12 months, the institute said Thursday. The institute has about 40 people, including 20 in San Francisco. After the move, it will be co-headquartered in Sacramento and Washington, where it has existing offices.

Consolidating its San Francisco and Sacramento offices will save money, but the main reason for moving “is wanting to be closer to elected officials,” said Hank Wetzel, the board’s vice chairman and managing member at Alexander Valley Vineyards in Healdsburg.

The cost of doing business in San Francisco and the growing difficulty of getting into the city for meetings were other reasons, he said. Getting to Sacramento will be easier for members in Napa Valley, San Joaquin Valley and even the Central Coast.

Wetzel said legislators have been “fairly responsive” to the industry, but “the portion of the legislature in Southern California is not as educated about what we do and the role the industry plays in Northern California. We want to make sure they know about that.”

About 100 bills were introduced this year and last that could affect the industry, he said. Major topics include sustainable groundwater, excise taxes and farm policies.

“It will be sad to leave San Francisco, which has been the institute’s home since it was founded in 1934,” said Suzanne Groth, the board’s treasurer and president of Grothe Vineyard and Winery in Napa Valley.

But “there is no iconic building here,” she added. “We all belong to wonderful marketing organizations for local issues and marketing issues. This is an organization that is really about politics.”

She said the board voted unanimously to make the move: “It made so much sense.”

Board members said the institute is looking to sublease its space at 425 Market St. Robert Koch, the institute’s president and chief executive, did not return a request for comment.

Other companies and organizations that have moved or plan to move their headquarters out of San Francisco in recent years include McKesson, Bechtel, Sierra Club and Blue Shield.

Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender