A spoiled vineyard in Lodi, Calif., on Dec. 13, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
World-renowned for its picturesque vineyards, California’s wine country is now facing a crisis involving an overpopulation of grapes, a shrinking consumer base, and competition from imports.
According to data from the Wine Institute, California wine accounted for an average of 81 percent of total U.S. wine production from 1995 to 2024.
Grapes Going Away
Farm Progress, North America’s largest agricultural information and marketing firm, recently reported that California farmers may be forced to remove another 40,000 acres of vineyards this year to deal with the oversupply of grapes.
