At the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium’s State of the Industry address, Jeff Bitter, president of Allied Grape Growers, again emphasised the need for large-scale vineyard reductions in California, to better balance supply with market demand.
He explicitly called for more vines to be uprooted in coastal regions, such as Santa Barbara, Lake, Mendocino, and Monterey counties, as well as among Lodi’s Zinfandel plantings.
From the total request for removal, Bitter recommended that 11,300 hectares (ha) should come from the coastal, more premium vineyards, with the most significant recommendation being the removal of 2,800ha of coastal Cabernet Sauvignon.
Steve McIntyre, president of McIntyre Vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands and CEO of Monterey Pacific, managers of 8,500ha of vines in San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Napa, and Lake counties, agreed that ‘Cabernet Sauvignon doesn’t work well in Monterey County and needs to be preferentially removed.’
Bitter also recommended a 2,000ha reduction of Pinot Noir vines from Monterey and Santa Barbara counties and a 2,000ha reduction of aged Chardonnay vines from Mendocino, Monterey, and Santa Barbara counties.
Similarly, Bitter recommended a reduction of just under 9,000ha from the interior regions of California, primarily from Lodi. Specific recommendations include 2,800ha of ageing Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vines and 2,000ha of Zinfandel vines.
‘Where and how that crop [Zinfandel] finds its balance is still to be determined,’ said Stuart Spencer, executive director at the Lodi Winegrape Commission and winemaker at St. Amant Winery in Lodi.
Spencer added, ‘We had a significant planting boom in the late 1990s, and many of those vineyards are now pushing 25-30 years of age and are at the end of their economic threshold.’ The boom came after the airing of a segment on 60 Minutes touting the health benefits of drinking wine in moderation.
Though the recommendations from the Unified Symposium were specific, McIntyre emphasised, ‘Everybody needs to chip in. We’re recommending our clients take out approximately 10% of what they’re currently farming, depending on the age and health of the vineyard.’
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