Media Contact: Steve Lyle, Office of Public Affairs, (916) 654-0462, steve.lyle@cdfa.ca.gov
SACRAMENTO, February 13, 2001 - California’s 2000 grape crush totaled a record 3,949,152 tons, up 24 percent from the 1999 crush, according to the Preliminary Grape Crush Report released today by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s California Agricultural Statistics Service.
Chardonnay accounted for the largest percentage of crush volume, at 16 percent, with Thompson Seedless, at 12 percent of the total crush. Red wine varieties accounted for the largest share of all grapes crushed, at 1,814,990 tons, up 28 percent from 1999. The 2000 white wine variety crush totaled 1,502,090 tons, up 26 percent from 1999. Raisin type varieties crushed totaled 512,461 tons, up 22 percent from 1999, while tons crushed of table type varieties totaled 119,610, down 20 percent from last year’s crush.
California grape growers received prices in 2000 that were on average below the 1999 prices. The 2000 average price of all varieties was $502.06, down 4 percent from 1999. Average prices by type for the 2000 crop were as follows: red wine grapes, $626.24, down 3 percent from 1999; white wine grapes, $496.67, down 4 percent; raisin grapes, $124.88, down 38 percent; and table grapes, $119.30, down 36 percent from 1999. These price levels have not been adjusted for inflation.
Statewide, the top five varieties receiving the highest average price were all wine grape varieties. Scheurebe received the highest average price of $4,504.12 per ton. Pinot St. George received the second highest average price of $3,200.00 per ton followed by Freise with $2,554.63 per ton, Petite Verdot with $2,054.50 per ton, and Vernaccia with $2,030.90 per ton. The prices of other notable varieties for 2000 were as follows: Chardonnay, $928.04; Cabernet Sauvignon, $1,102.71; Zinfandel, $465.73.
Of the 17 grape price districts, District 4 (Napa County) received the highest average price of $2,467.56 per ton, up 15 percent from 1999.
The Grape Crush Report also includes the total number of tons crushed that will be marketed as grape concentrate. In determining grape tonnage crushed for concentrate production, each processor is required to report the estimated equivalent tons of grapes crushed that are expected to be marketed as grape concentrate. For the 2000 season, this total was 744,825 tons, approximately 19 percent of the 2000 grape crush total.
California leads the nation in the production of all grape varieties, with the 2000 value of production at $2.8 billion.
This preliminary report includes all grape tonnage crushed during the 2000 season, as well as purchased tonnage and pricing information prior to January 10, 2001. The Final Grape Crush Report will be available March 9, 2001.
The California Agricultural Statistics Service operates under a cooperative agreement between CDFA and USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
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