The North Coast wine grape harvest in 2023 set a new record, reaching a value of USD 1.81 billion, a 17% increase from the previous year.
This significant rise in grower revenue is attributed largely to the largest local Cabernet Sauvignon crop ever harvested and the sustained high prices wineries are willing to pay for these premium red grapes.
Wineries in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake counties crushed 549,000 tons of grapes last year, marking a 24% increase from 2022. Statewide, California's wine grape crop totaled 3.67 million tons, an 8% increase, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s California Grape Crush Report.
Regional Breakdown of the Harvest
- Sonoma County: 244,300 tons (up 22%)
- Napa County: 168,800 tons (up 25%)
- Mendocino County: 71,400 tons (up 15%)
- Lake County: 64,600 tons (up 41%)
- Solano County: Part of its 27,600 tons came from the North Coast appellation.
The North Coast's tonnage was 22% above the five-year average, while the statewide crop was nearly 2% above average. The challenging growing season, marked by cool and wet conditions, contributed to larger-than-expected crops ripening simultaneously.
"Everything got topped off," said Glenn Proctor, partner with San Rafael-based global grape and wine brokerage Ciatti Co.
Wineries were keen to purchase up to the maximum tonnage specified in contracts. However, scheduling issues for red and white grape processing meant that vintners often could not accommodate excess fruit. Ciatti had predicted that 400,000 to 500,000 tons of the estimated 4 million tons of wine grapes statewide would remain unpicked due to issues like mildew, ripeness, or excess winery inventory. This largely affected Cabernet grapes outside the North Coast, though some local grapes in Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake counties were also left on the vine.
"There was an abundance of cab in Napa, and the wineries were not as forgiving for low brix because they can go to neighbors and take ripe fruit at much overage prices," said Christian Klier of Turrentine Brokerage.
Brix, a measure of grape sugar and fruit ripeness, is a critical benchmark for purchase contracts, which can also include discounted prices per ton for excess tonnage.
Napa’s Record-Breaking Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa's 2023 tonnage ranked sixth historically for the county, with its top grape variety, Cabernet Sauvignon, reaching a record 92,300 tons. This additional volume could produce approximately 1.27 million more cases of Cabernet wine. The average price for Napa Cabernet edged up 1.4% to a new high of USD 8,775 per ton, driving the county’s wine grape crop value to USD 1.13 billion, surpassing the previous peak of USD 1.02 billion in 2018.
New Cabernet Sauvignon acreage coming into commercial production in the past three years has significantly boosted Lake County’s wine grape crop. In 2023, Lake County produced 64,600 tons, up nearly 40% from average. Its Cabernet Sauvignon crop jumped nearly 50% to almost 31,800 tons, with the county average price for the variety rising almost 6% to USD 2,356 per ton.
Lake County’s Sauvignon Blanc Surge
Lake County, long known for its Sauvignon Blanc, saw the tonnage for this trendy white grape jump 28% to 20,000 tons, surpassing Sonoma County for the first time.
The impressive figures from the North Coast highlight the region's vital role in the California wine industry and underscore the ongoing demand for high-quality wine grapes, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon. The record-breaking harvest and the rising value of the wine grape crops point to a robust future for the North Coast wine industry.
Source: North Bay Business Journal