California Grape Growers Battle Declining Wine Demand

California farmers face challenges as wine demand drops, forcing vineyard removals and economic strain on local communities.

Editorial Desk

September 22, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Lodi, California — Harvest season has arrived in California’s wine country, but many growers are struggling to sell their grapes as wine consumption declines. This downturn is pushing some farmers to remove vineyards that have been in their families for generations.

Wine sales have dropped by over 20% in five years, causing prices for grapes to fall and leading to the removal of roughly a quarter of the state’s vineyards. Growers are now facing tough decisions about whether to harvest at a loss, leave grapes on the vines, or switch to more in-demand crops like almonds and olives.

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Third-generation grower Bill Berryhill said it means another year of financial losses and wasting hundreds of tons of healthy grapes. “It’s just sickening,” he said, standing in a vineyard of unsold merlot grapes. “You raise a beautiful crop, and it’s really a nice vintage this year, and you drop it on the ground.”

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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