The total value of the 2021 Napa County, Calif., winegrape crop was $741,732,000, up 60.8% from the previous year, Napa County officials said.
Much of this increase can be attributed to a dramatic rise and recovery in red winegrape production and average price per ton, following the sharp drop in these numbers in 2020. Much of that year’s decline was caused by local wildfires and the overall economic impact brought on by the first year of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2021, total winegrape production increased by approximately 21,216 tons, or 21.4% from 2020. The total winegrape tonnage for the 2021 crop (120,527 tons from 46,019 bearing acres) was still 20.6% lower than the previous 10-year average of 151,708 tons, however the total winegrape value was 7.2% higher than the previous 10-year average. The average price paid per ton for all winegrapes was $6,154, a 32.5% increase from 2020. In 2021, the highest average price paid for a major Napa County winegrape variety was $9,304 per ton for Cabernet Franc. There were 1,213 bearing acres of Cabernet Franc in 2021.
Top Wine Grape Varieties
In 2021 the top three varieties in total value were Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot. Approximately 65,169 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon (24,094 acres) were harvested and sold at an average price of $8,083 per ton. Chardonnay (5,880 acres) exceeded Merlot (4,019 acres) by 1,861 bearing acres, but sold at $787 less per ton on average. Merlot production was 7,630 tons, valued at an average of $4,032 per ton. Chardonnay production of 15,926 tons was valued on average at $3,245 per ton. These three varieties together accounted for over 73 percent of all production and more than 82 percent of the total wine grape value.