Jeff Bitter of Allied Grape Growers was on a panel at a recent California Department of Food and Agriculture meeting highlighting some of the challenges for growers in the state. …
Short Winegrape Crop Could Be Good with Demand Remaining Flat
The short winegrape crop in 2022 could be a good thing for the industry overall. President of Allied Grape Growers, Jeff Bitter said that demand has someone leveled off in …
Surprisingly Low Winegrape Crush Numbers for 2022
California winegrape crush numbers for 2022 were recently released, reflecting another year below average. The California Grape Crush Preliminary Report shows that total wine tonnage was 3,350,000 tons at $944 …
Winegrape Market in Balance After Three Short Crops
President of Allied Grape Growers (AGG), Jeff Bitter said that the winegrape market is seeing more of a “stable environment” after three short crops in a row. While acreage has …
Pending Burning Restrictions Having an Impact on Vineyard Removals
Some grape growers are having to make some tough decisions about vineyards with burning restrictions coming into effect. Last year, the California Air Resources Board voted to phase out agricultural …
Increased Demand for Raisin Varietals in 2021 Winemaking
According to the California Final Grape Crush Report, the total tons crushed of raisin type varieties was up 225 percent from the year prior. Manager of Central Valley Operations for …
Wineries to Work Through Smoke Exposure with More Understanding of Impact
Better understanding of smoke exposure in grapes could make wineries more open to work with growers. The issue of smoke exposure has been particularly difficult for growers in years of …
No Surprises in Grape Crush, But Report Highlights Future Considerations
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Final Grape Crush Report for 2021 demonstrated an increase of 9.2 percent from 2020. “We weren’t overly surprised by what we saw,” …
Winegrape Oversupply Compounds Issue of Smoke Exposure
The winegrape oversupply in 2020 had a detrimental effect on a variety of aspects of the industry, most notably prices. However, the abundant supply of winegrapes also played a role …
Positive Movement in California Winegrape Planting Trends
The industry has been making progress in addressing market imbalances with a reduction in winegrape planting. Allied Grape Growers (AGG) has released its latest grapevine nursery survey detailing planting trends …
Wine Glass Half-Full: Challenges Help Balance Winegrape Oversupply
The multiple challenges that 2020 has presented may ultimately help to provide some relief to the winegrape oversupply. The pandemic created a variety of issues for the wine industry. Tourism …
Glass Fire: Another Fire Already Impacting California Winegrapes
California winegrape industry leaders are adding another fire to the list for 2020. During a smoke exposure interview with AgNet West, Allied Grape Growers President Jeff Bitter said the newly …
Sacramento Lawmakers Hear Concerns from California Grape Industry
Several industry members recently went to Sacramento to meet with legislators and regulators to discuss the challenges that California grape producers are facing. President and CEO for Allied Grape Growers, …