North Coast grape crop reaches record per-ton price

The North Coast grape crop reached a record price in 2016 with an average of almost $3,000 per ton, continuing a trend toward high value that vintners have placed on the premium fruit from the region.The average price per ton of grapes from Lake, Mendocino,...

North Coast grape crop reaches record per-ton price

The North Coast grape crop reached a record price in 2016 with an average of almost $3,000 per ton, continuing a trend toward high value that vintners have placed on the premium fruit from the region.

The average price per ton of grapes from Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma and Napa counties last year was $2,955, which was a 5.8 percent increase from the previous year, according to preliminary figures issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday.

All four counties reached a price record last year, with Napa at a $4,666 per average ton, largely driven by its high-demand cabernet sauvignon. Sonoma County totaled $2,585 per average ton, followed by Lake County at $1,664 and Mendocino at $1,532.

Even with the rise in price paid by vintners, the North Coast did not hit a record for overall cash value with the 2016 crop. The value of the 2016 crop was $1.45 billion. The record remains the 2014 crop at $1.46 billion, driven in good part that year by a record yield of 566,995 tons.

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You can reach Staff Writer Bill Swindell at 521-5223 or bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @BillSwindell.

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