California Grape Exports...

[Jbu60]

I'm from the Toronto area and distributors here have been importing California grapes for years. I've been buying grapes for a while and am curious about the California grape export business. Can somebody shed some light on this industry? I'm wondering about the quality of these grapes. Are exporters selling their best grapes to large commercial manufacturers, while exporting their leftovers, or are there grape manufacturers who grow grapes strictly for export? Any insight into this business would be interesting.

(The California grapes that I buy here are decent quality, but in my opinion they seem to be like a "B Grade" and I say that because about 20% of the grape bunches that I find in the 36lb box are bunches of grapes that are somewhat half wilted/dried. Just wondering if this is the norm in commercial wine manufacturing vs home winemaking.)

 

[TOMMARIANI22]

90% of time unfortunately.. the grapes are harvested from a vineyard that is pushing idk probably 9-10 tons an acre out of the central valley of California. They beat up the farmer on pricing so he's left with trying increase production for piss poor payment. The grapes are good don't get me wrong just nothing of superior quality.

 

[Jbu60]

My local distributor buys from a farm that is located in the lower valley, north of Bakersfield, about a third of the way up towards Fresno, near Earlimart.

 

[mainshipfred]

I'm from the Toronto area and distributors here have been importing California grapes for years. I've been buying grapes for a while and am curious about the California grape export business. Can somebody shed some light on this industry? I'm wondering about the quality of these grapes. Are exporters selling their best grapes to large commercial manufacturers, while exporting their leftovers, or are there grape manufacturers who grow grapes strictly for export? Any insight into this business would be interesting.

(The California grapes that I buy here are decent quality, but in my opinion they seem to be like a "B Grade" and I say that because about 20% of the grape bunches that I find in the 36lb box are bunches of grapes that are somewhat half wilted/dried. Just wondering if this is the norm in commercial wine manufacturing vs home winemaking.)

It's a crap shoot. We on the US east coast discuss this often on several threads. There is no conclusion except for noone knows.

 

[Jbu60]

If there is a thread that discusses this please share, thanks.

 

[mainshipfred]

Go to "2018 Grape Season Underway" it's not specifically for this but lots of content. As I said there is no conclusion, just comments.