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Prices and Tonnage Drop like a Rock
Napa Grape Prices Down 20 Percent Napa Cabernet Tonnage Down 42 Percent February 11, 2021
In its preliminary crush report released yesterday, the California Agricultural Statistics Service (CASS) said 3.4 million tons of wine grapes were crushed in 2020, down 13 percent compared to 2019 when roughly 3.9 Million tons were crushed.
Red wine varieties accounted for 1,813,964 tons, down 15.9 percent from 2019 and white varieties totaled 1,590,335 tons, down 9.8 percent. The 2020 average price of all varieties was $674.72, down 16.8 percent. Average prices for red wine grapes were $791.33, down 22.4 percent and for white wine grapes were $554.74, down 5.9 percent from 2019.
The overall number, 3.4 million tons, was right in line with industry expectations. “It’s not surprising to see the total number because it’s exactly what the people who look at this all year long thought it would be,” Allied Grapegrowers President Jeff
Todd Fitchette
Chardonnay grapes remain one of the four-leading varietals grown in California. Of the more than 15 million wine grape vines sold in California for planting in 2020, nearly one-fourth of those were Chardonnay, which tied for first with Cabernet Sauvignon as the most popular planted varietals. While COVID-19 quickly killed on-premise wine sales, the oversupply of grapes that growers flooded the markets with over the past decade was diminished.
Between the COVID-19 pandemic and California wildfires, the state s wine grape industry fared better than one might expect, though not all was worthy of a toast.
Wine industry insiders last year sounded alarms of oversupply and growth realities that did not match the optimism of a few years ago. Among those leading the call to significantly reduce supply was Jeff Bitter, president of Allied Grape Growers in Fresno, Calif.