MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2024. BY LODI WINEGRAPE COMMISSION.
California is home to some of the world’s most renowned wine regions, making it a top global wine producer. However, the state’s wine industry is facing a significant slowdown in sales. Wineries are filled with unsold inventory and grape growers are struggling to find buyers for their grapes, even at steep discounts.
In a recent episode of California Insider, host Siyamak Khorrami sits down with Craig Ledbetter (Vice President & Partner, Vino Farms, LLC, Lodi), Patrick Cappiello (Owner/Winemaker, Monte Rio Cellars, Sonoma), and Stuart Spencer (Executive Director, Lodi Winegrape Commission and Owner/Winemaker, St. Amant Winery) to discuss what’s behind this slowdown and downturn in the state’s wine industry, and how it’s impacting everyone from farmers to winemakers.
“Some of our growers that have been farming 60 to 70 years, in some cases, say this is the worst they’ve ever seen. In 2023, an estimated 400,000 tons of grapes were left on the vine because they couldn’t sell them. It was never harvested,” says Stuart Spencer, Executive Director, Lodi Winegrape Commission.
For further education on the current state of the industry, check out the following posts:
- Imported Foreign Bulk Wine: The Dirty Secret No One In California Wine Is Talking About. Monday, March 18, 2024. By Stuart Spencer, Executive Director, Lodi Winegrape Commission.
- Wine Duty Drawback – Another Dirty Secret! Monday, August 5, 2024. By Stuart Spencer, Executive Director, Lodi Winegrape Commission.
California Insider, hosted by Siyamak Khorrami, showcases leaders and professionals across the state with inside information about trending topics and critical issues. Their mission is to inform California residents through the experiences and knowledge of their guests.
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