When it comes to wine, the number of people taking a sip is slipping.<\/p>\n
Local winemakers came together Friday for an annual event in Downtown Sacramento to help promote their products and boost sales.<\/p>\n
From Amador and El Dorado to San Joaquin and Yolo counties, Sacramento is surrounded by hundreds of vineyards. But now, thousands of acres are being removed from production — as wine demand declines.<\/p>\n
This year’s California Grand Tasting, an annual event sponsored by Visit Sacramento, recognizes the importance of the wine industry across the region.<\/p>\n
Grapes are Sacramento County’s top crop, generating $167 million in sales last year, and statewide they earned more than $ 6 billion.<\/p>\n
But this celebration of wine comes at a challenging time for vintners.<\/p>\n
“Certainly, the consumer habits have changed,” Visit Sacramento CEO Mike Testa said. “You look at some of the younger generation, they’re not consuming wine the way the older generations are.”<\/p>\n
California ag officials estimate there are currently 540,000 acres of wine grapes being grown across the state. But that’s down 12% from just two years ago.<\/p>\n
Some growers are tearing out vines or letting grapes go unpicked this year.<\/p>\n
“You’ve got so many different factors that are impacting everything that we do,” said Jill Osur, owner of Teneral Cellars.<\/p>\n
Osur says the industry is struggling with competition from imports and tariffs, which affect her profits.<\/p>\n
“We cannot pass on the cost of the tariffs and all of that,” Osur said. “People wouldn’t spend that much money, but we’re being impacted by that.”<\/p>\n
Jody Bogle’s family has been growing grapes since the 1960s. They now produce 2 million cases of wine a year.<\/p>\n
She says they have removed some older vines, but that’s making room for varieties that are more popular.<\/p>\n
“We’re always looking at trends, obviously. We’re looking at what folks are drinking,” Bogle said.<\/p>\n
Winemakers say events like this help them connect with local consumers and it’s an opportunity to stress the importance of shopping local.<\/p>\n
“It’s a critically important time for the wine industry for people to support their local wineries and not buy something from another country off the shelf,” Osur said.<\/p>\n
In past years, grape growers have also had to deal with the drought and wildfire smoke, but they say those have not been big issues so far this year.<\/p>\n
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