Grapes in the vines, Napa Valley in crisis. Future? “Less quantity, more quality, and different wines”

“It is a shame to see hundreds of acres of vineyards in Napa Valley with grapes still hanging, after this year’s harvest officially ended in late October. It is a clear sign of the challenges producers and growers are facing in a declining wine market. This could help rationalize part of the overproduction of grapes and wine, bringing greater balance to the market and a renewed focus on better wines at more affordable prices. But the situation will be tough”. This is the alarm raised by James Suckling, one of the world most influential wine critics, American by birth and former writer for “Wine Spectator”, which he left in 2010. Now based in Hong Kong, Suckling is among the most followed wine critics in Asia. His words capture a delicate situation in one of the most important wine regions in the world, the jewel of California wine industry, and the main “reservoir” for U.S. wine (accounting for about 95% of American wine exports, according to WineAmerica), but this issue is common to many other regions, just think about Bordeaux, and vine uprooting, as widely reported by WineNews, and even Italy, where cellar stocks remain decisively high and some denominations have revised production rules to lower yields.A point of view, that of Suckling, which has traveled the world and generated various analyses among industry professionals. And on WineNews, we gladly publish the reflection written by Gianni Moriani (titled “Che fare se l’uva resta sui tralci in Napa Valley e anche in Italia?” - “What to do if grapes remain on the shoots in Napa Valley and also in Italy?”), a historian of Italian cuisine and agricultural landscapes, with whom we often discuss the value and beauty of Italian wine and food territories.
“In last days - writes Moriani - James Suckling shared on Instagram a series of chilling photos showing shriveled grape clusters still hanging on the shoots in Napa Valley prestigious vineyards. This sad imagery is accompanied by a diagnosis of the wine sector health, full of concern, ending with the suggestion to turn difficulty into opportunity”. Moriani recalls that “the State of the U.S. Wine Industry Report, prepared by Silicon Valley Bank, noted that thousands of vineyard acres went unharvested in 2024. The “San Francisco Chronicle” newspaper reported that 16,000 hectares of vineyards were uprooted in a single year: an intervention described as “the largest downsizing in recent history” of California viticulture. This is the result of years of overproduction marked by too many vineyards and too many barrels which remain full because consumption is falling. Even Americans are drinking less wine, especially younger generations, who are more health-conscious and increasingly drawn to alternative beverages such as spritz, ready-to-drink cocktails, and craft beers, for example”.
According to Moriani, “this crisis will change the face of California vineyards, marking a significant reversal from the dream of planting more and more vines which began in the 1990s. The future of Napa Valley vineyards will depend on a strong selection of varieties. After years of short-sighted quantitative expansion, the new mantra is to improve quality and add value to wine. This also means the end of California wines as we have known them: mainly full-bodied reds, high in alcohol, heavily oaked Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir, styles exalted by Parker, promoted by “Wine Spectator” magazine, and fueled by aggressive marketing campaigns. Tastes have changed, and Napa Valley wineries are undergoing a process of “de-Parkerization” reducing excess alcohol and oak to restore freshness and lightness to their wines”.
According to Moriani, “Italian producers should learn from this American lesson, as we too have reports this year of grapes left on the shoots because cellars, with barrels still full, could not take in new wine. Where? In the provinces of Asti and Grosseto, and in Puglia”. But Moriani wonders: “will our winemakers be able to turn these first warning signs into changes both in the vineyard and in the cellar to respond coherently to a rapidly evolving market?” It’s time to acknowledge this reality for a future which is already here.