Category: Agriculture/Food System

Cathy Bussewitz, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

As the largest wineries increase their vineyard holdings, industry veterans say future expansion of vineyards in Sonoma County may be minimal because there is little land left to plant.

The land that remains doesn’t have the water or the warmth to support premium vineyards, and regulations on hillside planting are strong enough to dissuade those who can’t afford to clear those hurdles, many say.

via Wine industry veterans see declining vineyard expansion | The Press Democrat.

Cathy Bussewitz, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

The top three owners of vineyard land in Sonoma County — Jackson Family Wines, E&J Gallo and Silverado Premium Properties — largely began their buying sprees in the 1980s, when vineyards cost half the price of what they sell for today.

Their demand for premium grapes would help drive up land prices as they targeted top vineyards and undeveloped land to plant new vines.

Today, the three companies own about 8,800 acres planted to grapes, according to a Press Democrat analysis of county property tax records. The vineyards, buildings and equipment on that land have an assessed value of $436 million, although the actual market value is likely far higher.

Their vision of the future — and their access to capital — drove an expansion that has helped turn Sonoma County into a global brand.

via Jackson, Gallo, Silverado drive vineyard expansion | The Press Democrat.

Cathy Bussewitz, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

The wine companies that dominate the vineyard landscape in Sonoma County frequently have played a weighty role in shaping public and environmental policies in the region.

As the industry amassed greater land holdings in the 1990s during a planting boom that nearly doubled the vineyard acreage in Sonoma County, regulators saw the need to tighten the rules on how farmers use the county’s land and water.

Growers from top companies like Rodney Strong Vineyards and Silverado Premium Properties were there every step of the way to shape the rules on how farmers use water from the Russian River and how vineyards are planted on hillsides.

via Vineyard owners shape environmental policy | The Press Democrat.

Cathy Bussewitz, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

How The Press Democrat researched Sonoma County vineyard ownership

Search the PD’s interactive map of Sonoma County vineyard owners

For two centuries, farmers have worked the vineyards in Sonoma County, blending soil, sunshine, science and sweat to produce grapes that are used to create some of the world’s top wines.

Today, there are 1,500 farmers who grow the county’s signature crop, selling their fruit to 550 local wineries or crushing it themselves to transform the juice into wines that are sold around the globe.

But increasingly, the county’s largest wineries, together with a small group of big growers, are taking control of the vineyards and the $400 million crop they yield each fall.

The top five vineyard owners in Sonoma County control nearly a fifth of the county’s grape supply, according to an analysis by The Press Democrat of county property tax records. The vineyards and winery assets on that land have an assessed value of more than a half-billion dollars, although the actual market value is likely much higher.

The two largest players, perennial rivals Jackson Family Wines and E&J Gallo, are locked in a virtual tie. Each owns about 3,200 acres, with Jackson Family Wines ahead by a mere 61 acres, including properties owned by affiliated companies, executives and family members. The vineyards, buildings and equipment on Jackson Family Wines’ land are valued at $251 million on county tax rolls, and Gallo’s is valued at $105 million, according to an analysis of county records.

Silverado Premium Properties, a Napa vineyard investment firm, is in third place, with nearly 2,400 acres of vineyards valued at $80 million, according to an analysis of county records.

The Sangiacomo family, a longtime grape-growing family in Sonoma, and Ferrari-Carano winery west of Healdsburg round out the top five. The two own a combined 2,300 acres of planted vineyards with an assessed value of $138 million.

In a region where much of the potential vineyard land has been planted, and what remains is considered ill-suited for vineyards or too environmentally sensitive to develop, these players have emerged as a dominant force in shaping the direction of the industry.

via Big players dominate Sonoma County vineyard holdings | The Press Democrat.