California’s winegrape crushers squished less and charged more in 2022 compared to the year before.
According to the 2022 preliminary Winegrape Crush Report issued by the state’s Department of Food and Agriculture, 3.3 million tons of grapes were crushed for wine last year across the 17 districts in California. That’s a 7.8 percent decrease from the 3.6 million tons crushed in 2021.
There was a price hike too: 2020 and 2021 saw the average price per ton at $677 and $900, respectively. In 2022, the cost jumped to $930. While inflation is impacting wineries, Ciatti Global Wine and Grape Brokers spokesperson Todd Azevedo said it hasn’t necessarily impacted the price of grapes, which takes a few years to adjust.
San Luis Obispo County falls in District 8 with Santa Barbara County, and they mirrored state trends. The volume of crushed grapes fell by 20 percent in 2022 compared to 2021, while the average price per ton soared to $1,833—an almost 8 percent increase.
“The last three harvests [2020, 2021, and 2022] have all been short,” Azevedo said.
A “short” harvest refers to a yield of grapes that was lower than expected, he added.
“It’s hard to say what the average crop would be, but the growth was underwhelming through the seasons the past three years,” he said.
Changes to the environment and climate impacted wine grape yields in 2022,
something SLO County’s cabernet sauvignon experienced firsthand.
“The Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon and Monterey County pinot noir yields per acre were, overall, the lowest the regions have experienced since 2015 with tons crushed down 17 percent and down 23 percent from 2021, respectively,” Audra Cooper, the Central Coast grape broker for Turrentine Brokerage, said in a press release. “While the Central Coast varieties were negatively impacted by excessive heat, Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon and Monterey pinot noir were more impacted than most.”
Still, Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon is anticipating success. Azevedo said that specific market is one of the strongest ones on the Central Coast, and called it a “hot ticket item” in early 2023 along with Sonoma County chardonnay and Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon.
Cooper attributed the Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon’s rise to strong demand from local and outside grape buyers coupled with the increased price.
“This is the largest jump in district average price since 2012,” Cooper said in the press release. “However, it is important to note the district average is a weighted average. District 8 Cabernet Sauvignon crop was down 17 percent, which has further influenced the market.” Δ
This article appears in Feb 16-26, 2023.