According to a government survey of California grape growers, 2015 total crop acreage fell 10,000 acres from the previous year - about a 1 percent reduction.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) at Sacramento pegs 2015 acreage of all grape types – wine, raisin, and table/fresh market - at 918,000 acres – including 856,000 bearing (commercial production) and 62,000 non-bearing.
All grape acreage (bearing and non-bearing) in 2014 totaled 928,000 acres, reports the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
The acreage reduction is in part tied to a switch in permanent crop plantings from grapes to tree nuts, including almonds, pistachios, and walnuts.
NASS says California's 2015 grape acreage included 608,000 acres of wine grapes - 560,000 bearing and 48,000 non-bearing; and 124,999 acres of table grapes - 112,000 bearing and 12,000 non-bearing.
Acres planted in raisin grapes totaled 186,000 acres, including 184,000 bearing (commercial) production and 2,000 non-bearing acres.
In 2015, the leading wine-type varieties were Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Flame Seedless was the leading table-fresh grape variety. Thompson Seedless continued as the leading raisin-type variety for raisins, fresh market, concentrate, and wine.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture partners with NASS to conduct the annual acreage survey of California grape growers. The survey was mailed to about 8,800 grape growers last November.
Survey funding was provided by a wine grape assessment and from the California Table Grape Commission and the Raisin Administrative Committee.
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