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# EDIT: Spot Buying During Calif. Harvest -- And a Warning on Ripping Out Vineyards
- URL: https://bevnews.net/edit-spot-buying-during-calif-harvest-and-a-warning-on-ripping-out-vineyards/
- Published: 2026-10-09T02:19:44.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-09T03:26:47.000Z
- Author: Joel Whitaker
- Tags: Wine Harvest

This is different: Some California winegrape growers are beginning to warn about ripping out too many vines for fear the state's crops may not meet even reduced demand. 

Enough vineyard acreage has been reduced, and yields are down enough this year that **Ben Kolber, KG Vineyard Management** (Lodi/Clarksburg) is "extremely cautiously optimistic" that growers will be able to have some conversations with wineries and sell grapes early "so we can continue to grow high quality wine grapes are really affordable prices."

He went into this season waiting to make pruning decisions based on whether a vineyard was going to be kept in the ground or not. "We decided to keep a lot of these vineyards one more year, and we were glad (we did) because as harvest was happening" spot buying was taking place. 

In fact, Kolber says, he may have missed out on some purchases just because "the wineries were a bit too late to the game, where our sugars were past the threshhold of what they are looking for."

A lot of winegrape growers are preparing to rip out their vines, he said. **Allied Grape Growers** estimates that removals have brought total acreage to 473,000 to 477,000 acres from 600,000 atat its peak.

And more are on the way, Kolber said. "We see the endposts being removed and equipment lining up to remove them." 

He cautioned against being too quick to remove a vineyard. "Once the vines are removed, he said, they won't be replaced. The cost of developing a vineyard is just too expensive." Once the winegrapes are gone on the Lodi area, they will be replaced with almonds or maybe olives, he said..

Kendall Hoxsey-Onysko, business manager, **Yount Mill Vineyards** and **Napa Wine Co**. said they were down about 41% in the Napa area this year. "I think its going to be a great vintage," but significantly reduced yields.

Separately, **Ciatti Co.**'s October California report suggests that a turning point may be nearing. We hope so. But that turning point won't come until the market has bottomed, and it hasn't bottomed yet.