Placerville Newswire
  • Crime
  • Culture
No Result
View All Result
Get Started
Placerville NewsWire
  • Crime
  • Culture
No Result
View All Result
Placerville NewsWire
No Result
View All Result

El Dorado Wines Weather a Rebound — But Statewide Market Shocks Threaten Small Growers

With 2,634 acres and $9.7M in 2023 grape value, El Dorado’s wineries are thriving on quality — yet cheap imports and tax loopholes put family vineyards at risk now

Cris Alarcon by Cris Alarcon
September 7, 2025
in Business
420 22
0
Sierra Foothills Wineries Face Economic Hardships and Environmental Challenges

Sierra Foothills wine region

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterWhatsappReddit

Placerville, Calif. — Sept. 7, 2025

El Dorado County’s mountain vineyards are producing high-quality fruit and a burst of value after a cold 2022, but local growers say they face the same market pressures squeezing grape producers statewide — cheap imports, tax loopholes and shrinking volume demand that threaten small, family-run operations unless policy and market shifts occur.

You might also like

Poor Red’s in El Dorado Temporarily Closed After Roof Exhaust Fan Fire

Poor Red’s in El Dorado Temporarily Closed After Roof Exhaust Fan Fire

September 20, 2025
Fairy-themed restaurant loses its lease as Main Street property changes hands

Fairy-themed restaurant loses its lease as Main Street property changes hands

September 20, 2025

Key facts and timeline

  • El Dorado County reported 2,634 acres of bearing and nonbearing wine grapes and 82 distinct varietals in the county’s 2023 Wine Grape Survey. Total production jumped to 5,826 tons in 2023 (up 150% from 2022), with a total crop value of $9,745,567 in 2023. About 11.5% of 2023 tonnage was not sold or utilized.

  • Statewide, viticulture has seen steep contraction: roughly 25% of California’s vineyard acreage has been removed over recent years and shipments to market have fallen, creating pockets of unsold fruit and abandoned blocks. Industry leaders report hundreds of thousands of tons of grapes left unharvested in recent seasons.

  • Growers and winemakers cite global oversupply and pricing distortions — including heavy European subsidies and a U.S. federal duty-drawback process that can make imported bulk wine cheaper than domestic grapes — as drivers that have encouraged large buyers to source overseas rather than purchase California fruit.

What this means for El Dorado

El Dorado’s steep, high-elevation vineyards produce distinctive wines — Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet and a wide range of Rhône and Italian varieties — that command interest from sommeliers and wine lovers who prize mountain-grown character. The local industry is largely boutique: more than three-quarters of wine made here is grown and bottled locally, and many wineries are family owned. That structure helps preserve quality but leaves growers vulnerable to sudden market shocks.

County data show an encouraging rebound after the 2022 freeze: production and total crop value both climbed sharply in 2023. But the survey also shows a modest decline in average price per ton (about 3% down from 2022) and a meaningful share of fruit that was not used — a local echo of the larger California problem.

Voices from the vineyard

“The grapes being left unharvested is painful to see,”

said Stuart Spencer, owner and winemaker in the Lodi region, describing scenes now common in California’s wine country as buyers turn to cheaper imports. Spencer and other industry leaders say the combination of imported bulk wine, subsidy-backed foreign competition and U.S. tax rules has distorted the market, leaving growers with fewer buyers at harvest.

El Dorado growers and local wine advocates emphasize community resilience and the county’s long history of family farming — but they also warn that without fairer trade treatment, targeted state or federal support, or stronger direct-to-consumer sales channels, small vineyards will face hard choices: replant to other crops, sell to investors, or abandon ground.

Stakes for the local economy

The county survey underscores wine’s local economic importance: the 2023 crop value neared $9.8 million and El Dorado’s wines support tasting-room tourism, seasonal labor and related services (trucking, equipment, hospitality). Local leaders caution that continued loss of vineyard acreage statewide would ripple into rural communities and service businesses nearby.

What could change it

Growers and industry groups have proposed several remedies: closing the federal loopholes that favor duty-free or duty-reduced bulk imports; boosting promotion of U.S. and California grown wines; expanding local marketing efforts (wine trails, festivals and regional branding); and policy measures to level the playing field on subsidies and trade. Absent action, small producers say the long game for family farms is at risk.

Cris Alarcon

Cris Alarcon

Former Member: Executive Board of Directors, Treasurer, Boys & Girl Club of El Dorado County Western Slope. - Former Member: Board of Directors, Treasurer, Food Bank of El Dorado County. - Opening Team Dealer at Red Hawk Casino - Retried EDC Elections Department Inspector. - Youngest Charter Member of the Hangtown Kennel Club. - Political Strategist and Campaign Manager.

Related Stories

Poor Red’s in El Dorado Temporarily Closed After Roof Exhaust Fan Fire

Poor Red’s in El Dorado Temporarily Closed After Roof Exhaust Fan Fire

by Cris Alarcon
September 20, 2025

Poor Red’s Bar-B-Q in El Dorado closed this weekend after a roof exhaust fan fire around 4:30 p.m. Saturday. No...

Fairy-themed restaurant loses its lease as Main Street property changes hands

Fairy-themed restaurant loses its lease as Main Street property changes hands

by Cris Alarcon
September 20, 2025

The Enchanted Forest restaurant in Placerville will close Oct. 12 after the building sale—owner Kaitlyn Keyt says “we lost our...

DiVittorio Winery Closing After 25 Years in Camino

DiVittorio Winery Closing After 25 Years in Camino

by Cris Alarcon
September 17, 2025

After 25 years in Camino, DiVittorio Winery is closing. Owners cite health struggles and physical demands as reasons for ending...

Miwok Tribe Becomes Major Player in Downtown Sacramento with $32M Land Investment

Miwok Tribe Becomes Major Player in Downtown Sacramento with $32M Land Investment

by Cris Alarcon
July 24, 2025

The Miwok Tribe is shaping Sacramento’s future with a $32M investment in two prime downtown properties—including the former Macy’s.

Recommended

“Veterans Day: Honoring Service and Sacrifice at the 11th Hour on November 11”

“Veterans Day: Honoring Service and Sacrifice at the 11th Hour on November 11”

November 9, 2024
EDSO Eagle

Two Arrested in El Dorado County on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges

April 1, 2025

Popular Story

  • Placerville Man Sentenced for Throwing Chairs and Resisting Police

    Placerville Man Sentenced for Throwing Chairs and Resisting Police

    700 shares
    Share 280 Tweet 175
  • El Dorado County Sheriff Arrest Log: September 26, 2025

    688 shares
    Share 275 Tweet 172
  • El Dorado County Sheriff Arrest Log – Sept. 25, 2025

    668 shares
    Share 267 Tweet 167
  • El Dorado County Arrest Log, Sept. 24, 2025: DUIs, Assaults, and Shoplifting

    665 shares
    Share 266 Tweet 166
  • El Dorado County Sheriff’s Daily Log: September 26, 2025

    654 shares
    Share 262 Tweet 164
  • Buy JNews
  • Support Forum
  • Pre-sale Question
  • Contact Us

© 2023 Placerville Newswire Commentary is produced by the Placerville Newswire, a private service focusing on Placerville Local Area issues. All conclusions expressed in this publication should be understood to be solely those of the author(s). You may find us in El Dorado County Placerville, CA 95667

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Landing Page
  • Buy JNews
  • Support Forum
  • Pre-sale Question
  • Contact Us

© 2023 Placerville Newswire Commentary is produced by the Placerville Newswire, a private service focusing on Placerville Local Area issues. All conclusions expressed in this publication should be understood to be solely those of the author(s). You may find us in El Dorado County Placerville, CA 95667