California saw lightest grape crop in 20 years, according to report from Turrentine Brokerage

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    CALISTOGA, California (KCRA) — The vineyards in California’s wine country may be dormant this time of the year, but growers are busy thinking and, in some cases, worrying about the upcoming season.

“Napa tends to be the last affected in this industry. I mean, Napa is so well known, but we’re starting to feel the pressure in Napa. There were grapes that were left unharvested in Napa this last year,” said Turrentine Brokerage North Coast grape broker Christian Klier.

According to Turrentine, California saw its lightest grape crop in two decades last season.

Usually, a light crop has to do with unusual weather. A late heat wave right before last year’s harvest did take out some crops, but Klier said that wasn’t the main factor.

“Wineries still didn’t need that fruit,” Klier said.

Fruit hasn’t been as in demand at wineries because consumer demand has dropped significantly. And that means many growers have been tearing up vines.

Turrentine points to the removal of grape acreage as the biggest factor for a light harvest.

“We’ve rested on our laurels with a generation that really supported us, which was the Baby Boomer generation,” Klier said. “New consumers don’t really want to drink what their parents and grandparents drank. So, they’re kind of steering away and looking for their own next niche beverage.”

He’s confident wine will win consumers back, but in the meantime, the economic impacts could be widespread for California growers and winemakers.

“It’s a trickle-down effect. If vineyards can’t sell their fruit to wineries then they don’t need the employees to manage those vineyards, they don’t need the people to do that work. It goes across companies as well,” Klier said.

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