Growers’ loss is consumers’ gain

The grapes are picked, the season is over. California’s 2002 harvest appears on track to produce some top wines. Even so, 50,000 tons of grapes were left rotting on the vine, signs of a grape glut affecting the industry.

A record 3.2 million tons of grapes were harvested, according to the California Department of Agriculture. The crop, one of the largest on record, was up from 3 million tons last year due to a sharp increase in new vineyards.

Yet the combination of more grapes and a sluggish economy has created the first significant grape glut in a decade.

“The message is that we need fewer acres of grapes in California. In many cases prices [offered by wineries] were below the cost of production,” says Barry Bedwell of Ciatti Grape Brokerage.

For many growers, though, the quality of the vintage was excellent. Despite the large total crop, a cool season caused lower yields per acre than last year, especially in the cooler coastal regions that typically produce the best wines. Lower yields -- lighter clusters and smaller grapes -- usually translate into concentrated, flavorful wines.

-- Rod Smith