California’s Wine Industry Faces Crisis as Demand Drops, Imports Gain Ground

Older wine enthusiasts are aging out and not being replaced by Millennials and Gen Z. And the weight-loss trend is no help.
California’s Wine Industry Faces Crisis as Demand Drops, Imports Gain Ground
A spoiled vineyard in Lodi, Calif., on Dec. 13, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
Mary Prenon
Mary Prenon
Freelance Reporter
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World-renowned for its picturesque vineyards, California’s wine country is now facing a crisis involving an overpopulation of grapes, a shrinking consumer base, and competition from imports.

According to data from the Wine Institute, California wine accounted for an average of 81 percent of total U.S. wine production from 1995 to 2024.

Grapes Going Away

Farm Progress, North America’s largest agricultural information and marketing firm, recently reported that California farmers may be forced to remove another 40,000 acres of vineyards this year to deal with the oversupply of grapes.
Mary Prenon
Mary Prenon
Freelance Reporter
Mary T. Prenon covers real estate and business. She has been a writer and reporter for over 25 years with various print and broadcast media in New York.