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California could produce the smallest wine harvest in 50 years. A report estimates that around 30 percent of all grapes in the state will not be picked this year, but rather 'left to the birds'. In 2024, California harvested 2.96 million tons, the smallest amount since 1996. The report quotes Jeff Bitter, president of Allied Grape Growers: 'Some in the industry are wondering if even two million tons will be harvested this year. The last time the harvest was below 2.5 million tons was in 1987. Below two million tons was last seen in 1972. Today, there are 80 percent more vines in the ground than back then.'
The situation in Napa Valley seems less dramatic, but grape producers in other regions like Sonoma, Mendocino, and Monterey report that they will harvest significantly less than in previous years. Tom Sinton, co-owner of Starfield Vineyards in El Dorado County, says he will only harvest 36 tons this year – down from 80 tons last year and 166 tons in 2023. 'The grapes we didn't want to harvest, we cut early to reduce the cultivation costs of around $20,000 per hectare.' The barrel wine prices are now only 50 cents per liter. Nevertheless, it is sold at this price to free up storage space. According to a recently published study, a bottle of US wine costs an average of over $52, about 40 percent more than in 2018. A bottle of wine from Napa Valley even fetches an average of more than $100.
The quality of the 2025 vintage is generally considered to be very high. Additionally, winemakers will only process the best grapes, as they can only sell very good qualities anyway. The low demand and reduced harvest volume have led to the original fear of finding too few harvest workers due to the deportations of illegal foreign workers now reversing. Staffing agencies are seeking additional work as many vineyards remain unplanted or have been abandoned, according to the Wine-Searcher report. In the wine-growing regions of Northern California, the immigration authority ICE has not yet conducted any major raids. However, according to a report by the New York Times, the fear of this is very high among harvest workers.
(al)
More on the topic:
DWV: Up to 30,000 ha less vineyard area in Germany