Are California Wineries Looking to Sell?

  Silicon Valley Bank does a yearly state of the wine industry. One of the things they found this year is a high percentage of owners would consider selling. Over half of the Northern California wineries say they might be willing to sell while less than one-quarter in the southern part of the state. The north includes areas like Sonoma, Napa, Lodi, and the Sierra Foothills (includes Amador and El Dorado counties).

  A couple things have happened. One is business closures related to the pandemic. Some wineries have done okay with online sales and purchases by locals. This doesn't explain the difference between the north and south parts of the state considering getting out of the business. The wildfires of the last few years does explain it as wineries to the north were more affected by flames and/or smoke.

  Smaller growing areas that are farther from major metropolitan areas seem more interested in selling. A whopping 80% of the wineries that responded to the SVB survey from the Sierra Foothills, Lodi, and Clarksburg (in Yolo County) said they'd consider selling.

  If this happens to any large degree it could be quite a change to the wine landscape for Northern California. 

  A telling look at winery losses from fire and smoke -- only 7% were fully compensated.
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