Per the U.S. Dept of Agriculture (USDA), the 2024 California wine grape crush was the smallest in 25 years. Total crush size was 2.844 million tons, a 23% decline for 2023's 3.7 million tons. Average grape prices fell 5%, but the previous year was the highest ever, so not really a meaningful decline.
These numbers are state-wide. Three-fourths of California's wine grapes come from the Central Valley. Napa and Sonoma Counties are each about 4% of the state's total.
 | |
| Click on image to enlarge from American Assoc. of Wine Economists, source USDA |
Why was the '24 harvest so small? A couple of reasons:
- Supply and demand. The 2023 harvest was huge and there's plenty of excess wine out there coupled with a lower demand, so some just wasn't picked.
- There were a series of heat waves in parts of the state that damaged the crop.
Premium wine region data for the 2024 harvest vs. 2023, from the North Bay Business Journal: Napa, down 16%. Sonoma, down 14%. Monterey, down 29%. Santa Barbara, down 40%!
In Napa and Sonoma, there were significant heat waves causing lower yields, plus the bankruptcy of Vintage Wine Estates, owners of several wineries in both counties, left some growers without contracts for their grapes.
No comments:
Post a Comment