When wine grape oversupply hands you financial lemons, making lemonade comes in handy

Regardless of whether the wine market is flat, declining, or ready or a big downturn, the market situation is a sour one for wine grape growers:

• Are you ready for the cyclical downturn in the US wine market?
• U.S. wine consumption drops for first time in 25 years
• Oversupply of premium wine, slower sales growth to spur discount brands, says Silicon Valley Bank forecast
• Wine grape growers felt the squeeze in 2019, and 2020 looks no friendlier

The obvious answer — which can be seen throughout California wine country — is to rip out vineyards. But even that is a financially sketchy solution: Wine Slump Threatens California Vineyard Cull.

A Wonderful alternative

Now comes Wonderful Citrus which is taking a big bite out of the Salinas Valley wine grape supply by signing a long-term lease on the 846 acres of the Bianchi Big Bench and replanting it with their new brand of Non-GMO Wonderful Seedless Lemons.

According to a Feb. 5 news release, the Central Coast land, owned by the Bianchi Family in Soledad, was leased following a confidential bid process conducted by The Mendrin Group of Fresno.

No details were available regarding the number of acres under vines, varietals planted or the leas terms.