KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Lake County’s winegrape crop experienced increases in tonnage and in product value in 2011 while other Northern California counties were not as fortunate with their winegrape crops this past year, according to the preliminary crush report released recently by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

"We dodged a bullet for sure," said Lake County Winegrape Commission President Shannon Gunier, noting that the crush report indicates a decrease in tonnage in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino.

“Because of our high elevations in Lake County, our vineyards did not get the rain and fog our North Coast neighbors experienced. With the majority of Lake County vineyards planted at elevations of 1,500 feet and above, the winegrapes are exposed to higher ultraviolet light levels, resulting in thicker grape skins, greater tannins, and intense wines with high phenolic levels that influence taste and color of the wine,” Gunier said.

Statistics released by the CDFA indicated a 5 percent increase in tonnage for Lake County’s 2011 winegrapes, for a total of 33,795 tons, while the size of crops in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties dropped 13 percent from their yields of 2010.

The decrease in crop size in surrounding counties may have benefited Lake County in terms of winegrape sales, said Gunier.

"Because of the shortage of fruit in Napa and Sonoma, many wineries that had not tried Lake County fruit for their wine production purchased our grapes and discovered excellent results,” she said.

The total sales volume of $40,452,615 for the year is the largest in Lake County history, according to Gunier.

Grape prices throughout the North Coast counties were on the rise in comparison to the previous year.

Lake County experienced the second highest jump in average price for the four counties, the crush report showed. Lake County’s price increased 8 percent to $1,197 per ton in 2011. The CDFA report for 2010 showed an average price of $1,131 for Lake County’s winegrapes.

“Our top two varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, saw very good increases in average price,” said Gunier.

The reported numbers indicate a jump by nearly 6 percent for each.

Cabernet Sauvignon’s price grew by $50.65 per ton over the previous year’s price, from $857.98 to $908.63. Sauvignon Blanc brought an average of $1,385 per ton in 2011, up from $1,311.38 in 2010, an increase of over $73 per ton.

“Our hope is that Lake County winegrape growers will have another good year that showcases the excellent product found here,” said Gunier. “More wineries are discovering Lake County’s winegrapes and creating award-winning wines using those grapes, as has been shown in competitions held earlier this year. Our growers can be proud of their efforts.”

For additional information about Lake County’s winegrape production, visit the Lake County Winegrape Commission Web site, www.lakecountywinegrape.org.

The Web site contains detailed information about the area’s growing regions, grapes for sale, vineyard maps, upcoming events, and average prices paid for Lake County winegrape varietals for the last five years.

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