After recuperating from another rigorous harvest season, California grape grower and vintners anticipate the release of the annual Grape Crush Report from USDA & CDFA – and that time has come with preliminary results revealing an 8.7% increase from the 2020 crush. Read the following report for more details.
The 2021 crush totaled 3,858,841 tons, up 8.7% from the 2020 crush of 3,551,312 tons. Red wine varieties accounted for the largest share of all grapes crushed, at 2,016,959 tons, up 10.7% from 2020. White wine varieties crushed totaled 1,596,051 tons, up 0.3% from 2020. Tons crushed of raisin type varieties totaled 137,959, up 225% from 2020, and tons crushed of table type varieties totaled 107,872, up 13.2% from 2020.
The 2021 average price of all varieties was $848.42, up 24.8% from 2020. Average prices for the 2021 crop by type were as follows: red wine grapes, $1.055.18, up 32.4% from 2020; white wine grapes, $668.89, up 19.7% from 2020; raisin grapes, $292.23, up 16.6% from 2020; and table grapes, $183.12, up 14.6% from 2020.
In 2021, Chardonnay continued to account for the largest percentage of the total tonnage crushed at 16.0%. Cabernet Sauvignon accounted for the second largest percentage of the total crush at 15.3%. Table grape varieties crushed for wine accounted for 2.8% and raisin varieties crushed for wine were 3.6% of the total crush.
District 13 (Madera, Fresno, Alpine, Mono, Inyo Counties; and Kings and Tulare Counties north of Nevada Avenue (Avenue 192)), had the largest share of the State’s crush at 1,190,395 tons. The average price per ton in District 13 was $335.75.
Grapes produced in District 4 (Napa County) received the highest average price at $6,090.55 per ton, up 32.5% from 2020. District 3 (Sonoma and Marin counties) received the second highest average price at $2,671.57 per ton, up 10.7% from 2020.
The 2021 Chardonnay average price of $967.52 was up 16.6% from 2020 and the Cabernet Sauvignon average price of $1,643.06 was up 33.0% from 2020. The 2021 average price for French Colombard was $324.51, up 13.0% from 2020, while the Zinfandel average price was up 21.7% from 2020, at $636.79 per ton.
Prices for 2020 reflected adjustments due to smoke damage, as reported by purchasers. For more information about how purchasers reported smoke damaged grapes last year, go to: cdfa.ca.gov/mkt/pdf/GrapeCrush2020_Smoke_Taint_FAQ.pdf
Grasp the full picture of the 2021 grape harvest by reading the March feature in American Vineyard Magazine. Don’t currently receive the print publication? Subscribe for free HERE.
