California Final Grape Crush Report – Down 3%

NEWS RELEASE

United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Cooperating with the California Department of Food and Agriculture

SACRAMENTO – California’s 2011 crush totaled 3,874,146 tons, down 3 percent from the 2010
crush of 3,986,314 tons. Red wine varieties accounted for the largest share of all grapes
crushed, at 1,920,036 tons, down 6 percent from 2010. The 2011 white wine variety crush
totaled 1,426,905 tons, down 7 percent from 2010. Tons crushed of raisin type varieties totaled
372,551, up 36 percent from 2010, and tons crushed of table type varieties totaled 154,653, up
25 percent from 2010.

The 2011 average price of all varieties reached a record high of $591.69, up 9 percent from
2010 and 3 percent above the previous record high set in 2009. Average prices for the 2011
crop by type were as follows: red wine grapes, $706.77, up 13 percent from 2010; white wine
grapes, $542.41, up 8 percent from 2010; raisin grapes, $265.15, up 23 percent; and table
grapes, $219.25, up 26 percent.

In 2011, Chardonnay accounted for the largest percentage of the total crush volume with 14.4
percent. Cabernet Sauvignon accounted for the second leading percentage of crush with 9.9
percent of the total crush. The next eight highest percentages of grapes crushed included wine
and raisin grape varieties. Thompson Seedless, the leading raisin grape variety crushed for
2011, held 8.4 percent of the total.

District 13, (Madera, Fresno, Alpine, Mono, Inyo Counties; and Kings and Tulare Counties north
of Nevada Avenue (Avenue 192)), had the largest share of the State’s crush, at 1,495,027 tons.
The average price per ton in District 13 was $326.76.

Grapes produced in District 4 (Napa County) received the highest average price of $3,389.82
per ton, up 5 percent from 2010. District 3 (Sonoma and Marin counties) received the second
highest return of $2,083.08, up 4 percent from 2010.

For the 2011 crush, the Chardonnay price of $753.95 increased 5 percent from 2010, and the
Cabernet Sauvignon price of $1,153.89 increased 12 percent from 2010. The 2011 average
price for Zinfandel rose to $560.31, up 27 percent from 2010, while the Merlot average price
grew 13 percent from 2010 to $692.55 per ton.