The sound of crushing grapes fills the air in Lodi this fall. The grapes are sweet, with some saying this is the best crop they’ve had in years, but it may not be enough.
“The biggest factor in the decrease in crop from last year was the scrapes that didn’t get harvested,” Lodi Winegrape Commission Executive Director Stuart Spencer shared. “There was just no buyers for the grapes. That’s a function of a declining demand combined with cheap imports coming in. It’s just left California grape growers with no home.”
As growers focus on this year’s harvest, last year’s numbers show a sluggish market…