This information was sourced from Paul Franson’s NapaLife weekly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe if you’re interested in more weekly news for Napa Valley.
“If you think that 2020 was a bad year for grapes and wine in Napa County, you’re right. The gross value of all agricultural production in Napa County dropped more than 50% from the previous year.
Agricultural Commissioner Tracy Cleveland released the 2020 Napa County Agricultural Crop Report, which reported that the total value of the 2020 wine grape crop was $461,395,300, down 50%.
Much of this decline can be attributed to the damage caused by the LNU Lightning Complex and Glass wildfires, as well as the overall economic impact brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Total wine grape production dropped 38% from 2019 and was 36% lower than the previous 10-year average of 155,662 tons. The total wine grape tonnage for the 2020 crop was 99,311 tons from 45,241 acres, 36% lower than the 10-year average.
The average price per ton for all wine grapes was $4,646, 21% less than in 2019. In 2020, the highest average price for a major Napa County wine grape variety was $7,097 per ton for Cabernet Franc. There were 1,161 bearing acres of Cabernet Franc in 2020.
In 2020, the top three varieties in tonnage and value were:
- Cabernet Sauvignon, 47,563 tons (23,500 acres) an average of $6,261 per ton.
- Chardonnay, 14,882 tons (5,860 acres) at average of $3,028 per ton
- Sauvignon Blanc, 1,289 tons (2,756 acres) at average of $2,453 per ton
These three varieties together accounted for about three-fourths of all production and more than 80% of total wine grape value.”