Grape Introduction to California:A few selections

Jim Lapsley, Ph.D.Agricultural Issues Center

Dept. of Viticulture and Enology

California Winegrape Acreage

1780 1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 20100

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

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Acres Winegrapes

California Winegrape Acreage

1780 1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 20100

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

Acres Winegrapes

Five periods of expansion

• Introduction—1780s to 1880s– Mission variety

• Boom of the 1880s– Zinfandel

• Prohibition—1919-1933– Petite Sirah (and others)

• 1970s– Chardonnay (and Chenin blanc and Colombard)

• 1990s– Cabernet (and Merlot)

The Production Cycle

Quantity Supplied Exceeds Quantity Demanded

Quantity Demanded Exceeds Quantity Supplied

BoomTimes!

High prices lead to new plantings

Bust!

Low prices discourage production

In general, demand for wine has increased in the U.S.

• Quantity consumed is a function of per capita consumption and size of adult population

• U.S. adult population has increased over time (although in demographic waves)

• Per capita consumption has also increased (although from a small base and has experienced periods of decline)

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Introduction of V. Vinifera

Introduction 1780s

• Spanish missionaries– Grapes for mass

• Secularization under Mexican rule– Focus was on Southern California– Perhaps 2000 acres in 1830

• One grape variety: The Mission– “Pais” in Chile and “Criolla” in Argentina

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The Mission Grape

• California’s first Vinifera

• Low color and low acid, it made equally poor white and red wine

• Recently identified as Listan Prieto, a vinifera variety from southern Spain.

The 1880 Boom

Why a Boom in the 1880s?• Population growth and shift to Northern California

following the Goldrush• Phylloxera was destroying French vineyards—

resulting in world demand for more wine• Transcontinental Railroad completion in 1869 tied

California to markets in eastern U.S. • Increased tax in 1876 on foreign wines made

California wines more competitive• Importations of European grape varieties

accelerated

Grape Acreage Increase

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Zinfandel

• From Croatia “Crljenak Kastelanski”

• Hothouse variety East Coast in 1830s

• Various shipments to CA early 1850s

• Adapted well to various climatic areas and widely planted 1880s

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Napa Varieties by Acreage in 1888

2031 Mission5744 Zinfandel

1608 Misc. Reds 779 Bordeaux Reds

412 Bordeaux Whites2636 Riesling2597 Misc. Whites

15807 Total Acreage

Source: 1888 Board of Vit. Com. Report

Red Varieties reviewed by Hilgard 1887-1889

Bordeaux type: Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat, Merlot, Gamay, St. Macaire

Burgundy type: Black Pinot, Meunier, Chauce Noir

Italian type: Barbera, Freisa, Bonarda, Nebbiolo, Refosco

Southern French type: Araman, Cinsault, Mondeuse, Grenache, Mourastel, Mataro, Trosseau, Petit Bouschet, Sirah, Ploussard, Carignane

Austrian type: Zinfandel, Grossblaue

The end of the boom

• France recovers from Phylloxera—competition in world market

• Depression of 1893 reduces U.S. demand

• Phylloxera destroys many California vineyards

• Legacy: Diversity of varieties

Prohibition

Prohibition: 1919-1934

• Ended commercial production of alcoholic beverages

• Production of “non-intoxicating fruit juices” at home was legal

• Huge demand for wine grapes

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Vineyard prices increased from $100 an acre to $500.

The result was increased planting throughout California.

In 1919 total grape acreage was 300,000 acres. By 1928 it had doubled to 650,000 acres.

The demand for grapes for home-made wine led to escalating prices: from $30 a ton in 1918 to $95 in 1919.

Demand was for:

• Grapes that had dark color (so that resulting wine could be extended with water)

• Grapes that had thick skins (so they could survive rail shipment)

• Grapes that had lots of tannin (so resulting wine could be extended with water)

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Napa Varieties/Acres at Repeal

VARIETY ACRES PERCENT

Petite Sirah 4000 40

Alicante 2720 25

Zinfandel 1660 15

Carignane 1210 11

Palomino 220 2

Other 800 7

TOTAL 10610 100

Petite Sirah

• 1880 Cross between Syrah and Peloursin by Dr. Durif

• 1884 imported by McIver (Mission San Jose)

• 1900 becomes popular• Widely planted in 1920s

for home winemaking

Conclusion on Prohibition

• Primary change was in demand, leading to increased plantings beginning in 1920

• By 1925, grape prices dropped to pre-Prohibition levels, indicating quantity supplied had passed quantity demanded

• A classic example of boom/bust that doubled California acreage and left a legacy of poor varietals for quality winemaking

The Wine Booms of the 1970s and 1990s

• Two wine booms—one white and one red

• Demand increased as Baby Boomers came of legal drinking age and adopted wine

• Technology played a role in improving wine quality

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In 1976, two new Napa Wineries, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Chateau Montalena, “beat” the best French Wines in a tasting in Paris held to commemorate the bicentennial

The 1970s!During the late 1960s and early 1970s, demand for wine increased, bringing investment by major companies.

Was the driver the coming of age of the Baby Boomers, the major demographic wave of the 20th century? Starting in 1967, about 3 million people turned 21 years of age every year for the next two decades

In 1976 in Paris, French judges chose California wines over French in an informal competition

The Table Wine Boom of the 1970s

• Gallonage doubled between 1970-1980• Acreage expanded to meet demand

– New varieties and new regions– Chenin blanc and Colombard in the Valley– Cabernet and Chardonnay on the coast

• New wineries emerged dedicated to producing limited volumes of high quality wine

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The growth was in white wine

1970 1980

Red .54 .64

White .27 1.26

Blush .27 .47

Total 1.08 2.38

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Per Capita consumption in gallons

Chardonnay becomes King• The boom in the 1970s was in

white wine when new technology allowed production of cold, fruity, and slightly sweet wines

• Colombard and Chenin blanc were grown in the Central Valley and used to make “Chablis.”

• Chardonnay was planted originally in cool coastal valleys—and such new areas as Monterey and Santa Barbara

• Today Chardonnay is 75% of all white wine sold in the U.S.

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Colombard

Chenin

Chard

Chardonnay

• 1882 Wetmore import from Burgundy• 1896 Paul Masson import from Burgundy

– “Mt. Eden” clone• 1912 Wente import from Montpellier• 1948 McCrea (Stony Hill)takes cuttings from

Wente to St. Helena• 1950s, Louis Martini takes McCrea wood and

plants in Stanly Lane (Carneros)

Chardonnay

• 1955 Olmo selects from Martini for clonal trial in Oakville—Clones 4 & 5

• 1964 Selections moved to heat treatment

• 1969 Released to industry

• 160 acres 1960. Today 94,000 acres. Clones 4 and 5 are 75%.

Chardonnay clones:FPS 4 (left) and 16 (right)

Conclusion: 1970s Boom

• Demography: Began because of demand increase by Baby Boomers who adopted white wine in place of cocktails

• Fueled by major marketing efforts• Social changes, decline in marketing, and end

of Baby Boomers coming of age reduced demand

• 1000s of acres pulled in the Central Valley

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The Red Wine Boom of the 1990s

• In 1991, Morley Shafer of the news program, 60 Minutes, informed aging Baby Boomers that the French ate as much fat as Americans, but had lower levels of heart attacks and strokes, thanks to RED WINE!

• In 10 years wine red wine consumption tripled

Morley Shafer, patron saint of winemarketers

The Red Wine Boom of the 1990s

1990 2000

Red 0.35 1.00

White 0.93 0.92

Blush 0.60 0.45

Total 1.87 2.30

Per Capita Consumption in Gallons

The red wine boom of the 1990s• Aging Baby Boomers

began drinking red wine to prevent heart disease

• Cabernet and Merlot became the most popular red wines, today constituting about 70% of all red wine consumption

Cabernet Sauvignon (cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon blanc)

• 1852 Delmas in San Jose

• 1861 Haraszthy?• 1878 Drummond in

Sonoma (Wildwood)• 1880 Crabb in Napa

(Tokalon)• 1882? Wetmore (Cresta

Blanca)

Cabernet Sauvignon

• 1963 Clone 2 “Oakville” from Wildwood to FPS (Martha’s Vyrd., Fay Vyrd. Stag’s Leap)

• 1969 Clone 6 “Jackson Selection” (Amador Co.)

• 1970 Clones 7, 8 and 11 from Concannon Vyrd. (probably direct import 1904—maybe from Wetmore 1880s)

• 1956: 700 acres. 2013: 86,258 acres.

Conclusion

• Grapes don’t plant themselves– Plantings are a result of demand shifts

• California enjoys a rich diversity of varieties and clones

• The search for quality is on-going

More Information?

• Foundation Plant Services: Grapes– Oct. 2008 “Cabernet Sauvignon at FPS”– Nov. 2007 “The Zinfandels of FPS”– Nov. 2007 “Chardonnay History and Selections at

FPS”• Charles Sullivan

– Zinfandel, a History of a Grape (2003)– Companion to California Wine (1998)