Area per-ton grape prices continue to climb

LODI – Lodi area grape prices rebounded sharply during last fall's harvest, hitting an average of nearly $480 a ton, a level not seen since 2000 when a glut of new vineyards began to flood the market, according to new state figures.

But while local grape producers received a more than 20 percent bump in per-ton price over 2007, a much smaller 2008 crop meant the value of the district's fruit came to $253.2 million, only about 3 percent higher than $245.9 million crop the year before.

According to the preliminary Grape Crush Report issued earlier today, the average price for 2008 grapes crushed for wine, juice and other products topped $544 a ton, up 4 percent from the year before.

California vineyards sent 3.66 million tons of grapes to the crushers last fall, just a bit less than 3.67 million tons in 2007.

Read Wednesday's Record for more on this story by staff writer Reed Fujii.