Jocelyne Monello
REALTOR, CRS, GRI, CLHMS, RECS
707-224-8281
"Going The Extra Mile Every Client, Every Time"
email 
Jocelyne Monello
Realtor, CRS, GRI, CLHMS, RECS
707-224-8281
Napa Valley Real Estate
RE/MAX
Napa Valley
780 Trancas Street
Napa, California
94558 USA
Direct: 707-224-8281
Fax # : 707-251-8362
An article by L. Pierce Carson of the Napa Valley Register, February 11, 2004
Grape harvest dips in 2003, but value stable
Despite early forecasts of significant drops in crop loads, Napa Valley's grape harvest fell by a modest 2 percent to 128,100 tons in 2003.
And, buoyed by a 21 percent surge in cabernet sauvignon tonnage and relatively steady prices -- averaging slightly over $4,000 a ton -- the value of the Napa Valley grape crop in 2003 inched up to $389 million, a 2 percent increase over the value of the previous harvest.
These facts and figures are contained in the preliminary grape crush report for the 2003 crush released in Sacramento Tuesday by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Backing up the adage that "cabernet is king" in the nation's foremost winegrowing region, the value of last fall's cabernet sauvignon harvest registered just shy of $200 million for the first time, noted industry analyst George Schofield.
The value of the cabernet crop jumped by $35 million over the previous year's crush, reaching $198 million, the St. Helena analyst pointed out. Total cabernet tonnage was up 8,700 tons to a total of 49,400 tons.
By contrast, the Napa Valley merlot crop -- which dropped by 25 percent last fall to 21,100 tons and saw average prices fall by an average $106 a ton -- is valued at $57 million, a 28 percent decline from last year.
The chardonnay crop was down by 14 percent, to 22,400 tons, with the average price sagging by 7 percent to $2,157 a ton. Total value of the chardonnay crop fell by 20 percent to $48 million.
Pinot noir tonnage registered a modest 3 percent hike to a total of 8,000 tons, with price per ton slightly depressed -- $2,141, or a drop of 2 percent. The value of the pinot harvest is measured at $17 million.
An in-depth look at the 2003 grape crop report will be included in Thursday's Register.
By L. Pierce Carson
Register Staff Writer
