The California Department of Food and Agriculture, in collaboration with the U.S. agricultural statistics agency, has released its preliminary harvest report for 2024. According to the report, only 2.84m tons of grapes were harvested last year, 23% less than the previous year. This makes the 2024 vintage the smallest reported harvest since 2004, when 2.76m tons were harvested. For red wine, it marks the smallest harvest since 1999. The low figure comes as a surprise, as industry observers had expected a harvest between 3 and 3.3m tons.
Observers now point to two main factors behind the harvest shortfall. First, a naturally small vintage was further reduced by a heatwave in October. Additionally, it has become increasingly apparent that large areas of vineyards were not harvested. W. Blake Gray, in an estimate on wine-searcher.com, suggests that up to 30% of the red wine grapes in 2024 were not picked. In fact, red wine varieties, which made up the lion's share of processed grapes in California at 1,438,527 tons, saw a significant 27.1% decline compared to 2023, while white wine varieties (1,405,119 tons) decreased by a more moderate 18.0%. However, most white varieties had been harvested before the heatwave struck.
Observers attribute the situation to the fact that grape brokers were very cautious this year due to surplus stock and a lack of buying activity. Wine Business quotes Glenn Proctor, president of the Ciatti Company, noting that the October heatwave also accelerated the ripening of red grapes, leaving buyers with little time to assess the situation. Without an adequate offer, winemakers simply left the grapes on the vines. However, Proctor emphasized that while the news of a smaller harvest is painful, it is necessary for the long-term survival of the industry. "The only way to restore balance is to harvest fewer grapes." SP
