Despite a spike in prices, a 10-plus ton decrease in last year’s harvest drove down the total value of Napa Valley’s grape crop by $2 million in 2007. Crop value totaled $463 million last year.

Napa’s drop in production ran counter to the 5 percent growth in statewide tonnage, continuing a decline from 2005 when the harvest totaled 180,800 tons, the largest crop in history. Last year’s crop load dropped to 142,300 tons, according to the preliminary 2007 Grape Crush Report released Friday by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

A record average price of $4,306 per ton reinforces cabernet sauvignon’s reign as king of grape varieties in the Napa Valley, the report indicates. That’s an increase of 4 percent over the average of $4,137 per ton growers received in 2006.

And cabernet sauvignon is the only one of the major four Napa Valley grape varieties that saw an increase in production last year. Cabernet sauvignon weighed in at 57,136 tons, a jump of 2 percent.

Industry analyst George Schofield attributes cabernet sauvignon’s good stead to “an estimated 13 percent annual growth in wine demand in the U.S. market.”

His associate, Sue Brewster, noted that cabernet sauvignon is the most significant grape in the total equation, contributing nearly $250 million in total crop value.

Throughout the growing season, grapegrowers had predicted a crush that would be “a little bit light,” said Schofield. “And that’s a blessing.”

He said a lighter crop helped balance out excess inventory from previous years as well as better the spot market (where grapes that are not under contract are sold). It will aid both wineries and growers, he added, helping wineries deplete excess inventories and helping boost grape prices for growers.

Prices up

Pinot noir prices gained 6 percent to $2,418 a ton, reflecting lower than expected crop yields. Pinot noir tonnage declined 18 percent in 2007, coming in at 8,736 tons.

The average price paid for chardonnay also jumped last year, up 5 percent to $2,287, with crop levels  down 10 percent to 24,071 tons.

“With merlot wine demand showing some indications of recovering from the disparaging remarks of the lead character in the notorious ‘Sideways’ film, merlot eked out a small price gain of 1 percent ($2,418 per ton average),” noted Schofield. “The substantially lower crop level (22,399 tons, down 17 percent) also was a major contributing factor to the merlot stability.”

Additional tonnage and prices for Napa Valley grapes in 2007 include: sauvignon blanc (9,851 tons, $1,836), pinot gris (890 tons, $2,080), semillon (655 tons, $2,352), viognier (377 tons, $2,269), cabernet franc (3,179 tons, $4,299), petit verdot (1,507 tons, $5,057), petite sirah (2,289 tons, $2,988), syrah (3,213 tons, $2,845) and zinfandel (4,037 tons, $2,538).

The highest average price paid for a ton of grapes last year was for the Rhone varietal, rousanne — $7,790. But there’s only 44.7 tons of bearing rousanne vines in the county at present.

Sonoma and elsewhere

Total value of the 2007 grape crop in neighboring Sonoma County was $411 million. That’s based on a total crush of 197,714 tons and an average price of $2,081 per ton.

Sonoma’s chardonnay crop totaled 58,446 tons last harvest, with an average price of $1,868, or $419 less than the average price in Napa Valley.

The cabernet sauvignon harvest in Sonoma County brought in 41,302 tons, some 38 percent less than that picked in Napa. The average price paid for Sonoma cabernet was $2,245 a ton, a little more than half of the going rate for Napa cabernet.

Statewide, the total wine grape crop in 2007 weighed in at 3.66 million tons, up 5 percent from the 2006 crush of 3.48 million tons. Red wine varieties account for the largest share of all grapes crushed, at 1.87 tons.

Grapes grown in Napa County received the highest statewide average price of $3,253 per ton, up 7 percent from 2006.

“Overall, 2007 stacks up as a good year for the Napa grape and wine community,” noted Schofield. “With no new plantings having occurred for years and rising annual demand, the prognosis is for better marketing days ahead for growers.

“With some balancing of wine inventories by wineries, the first hint of scrambling for available grapes — at least for pinot noir — is occurring.

“All concerned, including consumers, should also welcome the preliminary reports of generally excellent quality on the 2007 vintage.”