Final Crush Report: 2009 Tops 4 Million Tons, up 11%

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

California’s 2009 crush totaled 4,095,297 tons, up 11 percent from the 2008 crush of 3,673,858 tons. This is only the second time that California’s crush has exceeded 4 million tons.

Red wine varieties accounted for the largest share of all grapes crushed, at 2,078,121 tons, up 24 percent from 2008. The 2009 white wine variety crush totaled 1,624,910 tons, up 21 percent from 2008. Tons crushed of raisin type varieties totaled 307,360, down 38 percent from 2008, and tons crushed of table type varieties totaled 84,906, down 49 percent from 2008.

The 2009 average price of all varieties was $574.46, up 5 percent from 2008. Average prices for the 2009 crop by type were as follows: red wine grapes, $670.54, up 1 percent from 2008; white wine grapes, $535.55, down 1 percent from 2008; raisin grapes, $171.02, down 24 percent; and table grapes, $143.10, down 21 percent.

These price levels have not been adjusted for inflation. The large increase in higher priced wine grapes crushed, coupled with the decline in less expensive raisin and table grape varieties crushed, results in the average price increase from 2008.

In 2009, Chardonnay accounted for the largest percentage of the total crush volume with 17.8 percent. Zinfandel accounted for the second leading percentage of crush with 10.9 percent of the total crush. The next eight highest percentages of grapes crushed were all wine varieties.

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 1,344,514 tons. The average price per ton in district 13 was $247.86.

Grapes produced in District 4 (Napa County) received the highest average price of $3,414.58 per ton, down less than 1 percent from 2008. District 3 (Sonoma and Marin counties) received the second highest return of $2,186.61, down 2 percent from 2008. The 2008 Chardonnay price of $757.82 was down 7 percent from 2008, and the Cabernet Sauvignon price of $1,078.09 was down 3 percent from 2008. The 2009 average price for Zinfandel was $464.00, up less than 1 percent from 2008, while the Merlot average price was down 4 percent from 2008 at $625.64 per ton.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT.