California wine industry sees decline, new report shows

It's been a rough year for California wine growers as a new report shows the industry was down almost 9% in 2023. Growers in Lodi say it's been a challenge but it's one they're ready to take on.

[@lutomson3496]

blaming it on other countries is pathetic..blame it on the states laws expensive electricity etc

[@bernardwylie9760]

The fact that you’re more doom and gloom than the wine growers in this report shows you’re just trying to be partisan. It’s a combination of factors, and it’s only a 9% decline, one good year and they’ll be hand over fist again. I buy Lodi wine all the time, cheaper than the Napa stuff.

[@christianartmann8145]

As someone else already commented, blaming it on wine production in other countries is mistaken. The US wine industry is highly protected against competition through taxes, tariffs and import costs. A European wine that I can buy for 10 Euros in Europe typically goes for $25+ in the US! The difference gets even larger for higher price point wines. Sadly, despite this advantage, CA winemakers are trying to charge consumers hefty premia for their wines! I love some California wine, but CA winemakers should take a deeper look at their own competitiveness rather than trying to charge consumers absurdly high prices. While high real estate and labor costs may be in part to blame, so are profit maximization / greed, ego and the need to build large, showy estates. Humility goes a long way...

[@NatejAlbonico]

A winery can very easy be converted to process hemp and other organic materials for raw materials needed in green sustainable
Plastics
Papers
Fuels
resins
food
fabrics
building materials
and more.
Just about all these organic materials like hemp don't take irragation to grow most of the material is in our green bins.
With grapes you only get one product with processing organic materials you get 100s of sustainable products with 100s of times the profit.

[@MrTM-fg6zn]

Mass production led to crap.. Drink organic small farms only.

[@terryvanzeeland285]

Oh well. Watching our small family dairy farm slowly be pulled from my parents arms was hard to watch. It looks like the same will happen to wineries now. At one time that land they bought for pennies on the dollar was probably real farm land...I will call it karma 🤷

[@ChodaStanks]

Just lower the prices

[@blomegoog]

cali wine no longer a thing. poor quality. too much sulfite allergy. now we only do australian organic.

[@jmd1743]

I heard a good explanation, the wine makers stressed out the soil by over harvesting on the land.

[@ricochete5875]

LOL. You get what you vote for.