After Record Year, California Wine Grape Crop Drops More Than 10 Percent
LODI (CBS13) — Wine woes could be on the way for California after the 2014 crop of grapes dropped more than 10 percent statewide.
The vines in Lodi are dormant after a bit of a down year.
"We just don't have as much wine as we normally have," said Steve Felten with Klinker Brick Winery.
He isn't alone. New numbers out on Tuesday show it's a statewide dropoff from a record 2013. Last year 4.16 million tons were crushed, a drop of 11 percent. Things were worse in the Lodi district where 674,000 tons of grapes were crushed—a 17 percent drop.
Cameron King with the Lodi Winegrape Commission says the industry knew those record crops wouldn't last forever.
"2012 and 2013 were bumper crops in the Lodi Region and around California," Kings said. "Vines that produce very vigorously for a couple years in a row want to take a natural break."
King says there will be no shortage anytime soon, and that prices shouldn't change much either.
Like most winemakers, Felten saw the dropoff coming and saved some of his 2013 wines to sell now to minimize the hit he'll take.
"We just don't have as much bulk wine to sell," he said.
In fact, his biggest fear is something he can't plan for: the weather. In the drought, Steve says vines are maturing early in the warmer-than-usual weather.
