The Crush - February 2020 - 10

[ CAWG & INDUSTRY NEWS ]

2019 Winegrape
Crush Down 9.1
Percent

The California Department of Food and
Agriculture, in cooperation with USDA's
National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS), released the 2019 Preliminary
Grape Crush Report on Feb. 10.
The 2019 crush (winegrapes only) was
3,890,253 tons, down 9.1 percent from the
2018 crush of 4,281,112 tons. Red wine
varieties accounted for the largest share of
all grapes crushed, at 2,135,112 tons, down
12.8 percent from 2018. The 2019 white wine
variety crush totaled 1,755,141 tons, down
4.3 percent from 2018.
Average prices for the 2019 crop by type:
red winegrapes, $990.07 per ton, down 2.9
percent from 2018, and white winegrapes,
$580.66 per ton, down 8.6 percent from 2018.
In 2019, chardonnay continued to account
for the largest percentage of the total
crush volume with 15.6 percent. Cabernet
sauvignon was second with 14.1 percent.
Grapes produced in District 4 (Napa
County) received the highest average

Leafroll Virus Now Covered Under
Tree Assistance Program
California Farm Service Agency (FSA) has approved grapevine
leafroll-associated virus (GRLaV) as an eligible disease under the
Tree Assistance Program (TAP) in all grape-producing California
counties. To successfully pursue a loss claim due to a GRLaV,
growers need to establish the presence of the virus in affected
blocks utilizing commercial laboratory testing.

price of $5,797.07 per ton, up 3.9 percent
from 2018. District 3 (Sonoma and Marin
counties) received the second highest return
of $2,823.67, up 0.2 percent from 2018. The
2019 chardonnay price of $899.83 was down
7.3 percent from 2018, and the cabernet
sauvignon price of $1,720.61 was up 2.2
percent from 2018. The 2019 average price
for zinfandel was $564.74, down 5.8 percent
from 2018, while the French colombard
average price was down 5 percent from 2018
at $275.89 per ton.
The preliminary report includes all grape
tonnage crushed during the 2019 season. It
also includes purchased tonnage and pricing
information for grapes with final prices
prior to Jan. 10, 2020. The 2019 Final Grape
Crush Report, to be published on March 10,
will contain any late reports or corrections to
the preliminary report.
Please notify the NASS of any corrections
for the final report by Feb. 21.

Lodi Winegrape Commission's Dr. Stephanie Bolton said,
"We believe that this approval of leafroll virus is a crucial
step in assisting farmers affected by leafroll virus, which can
spread rapidly in areas with vine mealybugs and can decrease
winegrape quality, lower yield, inhibit ripening, decrease
a vineyard's lifespan, and - as we have recently learned -
contribute to the mystery/sudden vine collapse."

FSA staff indicate approved tests of infested grapevines
include polymerase chain reaction, high performance liquid
chromatography, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or highthroughput sequencing of DNA. A minimum of 10 symptomatic
vines must be tested from each block claimed to be infected.
FSA also wants the grower to document the presence of visual
indicators by having a loss adjuster inspect the vineyard when
symptoms are likely present. Visual indicators may include, but
are not limited to: shorter shoots, late summer leaf curling, small
fruit clusters (but normal sized fruit), delayed maturity, poor
pigmentation, thicker than normal leaves and brittle leaves. Red
winegrape varietals may display reddening of the leaf blade, but
the main vein remains green. In white varietals the leaf blade
may display yellowing, but the leaf blade remains green.
10 / FEBRUARY 2020

As of December 2019, 149 wineries producing over 85
percent of California's total wine production (255 million
cases) and 2,097 vineyards farming 29 percent of statewide
wine acreage (184,818 acres) are CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE.
>REPORT: www.sustainablewinegrowing.org

https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/FactSheets/tree_assistance_program-tap-fact_sheet.pdf http://www.sustainablewinegrowing.org

The Crush - February 2020

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