From the Fields: By Joe Zanger, ​​​​​​​San Benito County farmer

By Joe Zanger
San Benito County farmer

The status of grape and wine production has been on my mind. My family founded our bonded winery almost 60 years ago when there were fewer than 200 wineries in California. Our southern Italian ancestors started the Bisceglia Bros. Wine Co. and Cribari Wines at the turn of the last century. Now there are over 4,000 wineries in California, and if you add winemakers that utilize other wineries’ facilities, the number is close to 7,000. And there are a significant number of wineries in just about every other state.

The 2020 COVID lockdown resulted in record sales for many wineries, but that was short lived, with significant decreases in sales over the last three years. Popular opinion is that in addition to the sheer competition of wineries, there has been consumer movement from wine to canned cocktails, craft beers, hard seltzers, cannabis or simply abstinence from all. This is not just a California situation; it’s worldwide. 

For those of us growing grapes, we bear the brunt of this trend. Fruit will get unprofitable prices or go unharvested again this year, and vineyards are being pulled. We all have experienced cyclical downturns and then a period of high demand for the crops we grow, especially with the longer life of permanent orchards and vine crops that can’t easily adjust production. However, this particular cycle is looking to be less a cycle and more a permanent change.  

I’ve read a lot of reports on labor availability and impacts from the current deportations. We in San Benito County and the Salinas Valley are seeing no ICE activity, nor is anticipation of raids causing a labor shortage or attendance issues. Workers are reporting to their assignments, working hard and earning good wages. This is counter to the false narratives portrayed in the media. In addition, reporting on tariff and tax reform is proving to be inaccurate. Farm prices and export volumes will see favorable results from recent and ongoing trade deals. I’m bullish on the positives in these regards.

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