Grape Growers Look East To Ship Some Cultivars

Some California winegrape growers are finding there is a strong market in other states for the vitis vinifera varieties they grow, as cooler climates are not conducive to the production of such varieties.

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Brad Goehring of Goehring Vineyards, which is headquartered near Lodi, has been selling grapes out of state for the past four years, to winemakers on the East Coast and Southwest. He made both connections through friends of friends, when the winemakers found he had the varieties they were looking for: Sangiovese, Malbec, Petite Verdot, and a California Chardonnay. Goehring says he doesn’t know what market they are aiming for, and frankly isn’t interested. “I just sell them grapes,” he says. “All I know is they can’t grow the cultivars — and probably can’t get the quality — that we can.”

Goehring says some growers sell just the grapes, while others ship juice. He has done it both ways, though he sells more of the unprocessed fruit, which he prefers because it’s simpler. In both cases, he says he can get prices that are above the California market price. Shipping is not difficult, as in both cases the buyers contract to lease a refrigerated truck and send it to Goehring’s vineyards.

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There are a few twists, though, that a grower faces when marketing grapes out of state. First, there is additional red tape, especially in recent years. “Now that we have the LBAM (light brown apple moth) and EGVM (European grapevine moth) quarantines, we have to deal with those,” he says. “It’s just more paper work and more follow-through.”

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An even more critical consideration, at least from a business standpoint, is making sure you get paid. Goehring, who serves as chairman of an ad hoc committee set up by the California Association of Winegrape Growers, the “Slow-Pay No-Pay Task Force,” is well-versed in this area. He says that getting paid can be a problem for growers dealing with California buyers, but it can be even more of a problem with out-of-state buyers because the California Department of Food and Agriculture doesn’t have the power to go after out-of-state buyers.

“You have to get the IRS involved for a slow-pay or no-pay vendor if they’re out of state, so you really have to know who you’re dealing with,” he emphasizes. “Some wineries will offer a look at their financials. Some simply have reputations, good and bad. Check with the buyer’s state department of food and ag to see if there have been any complaints.”

Finally, one other consideration, which is an important one especially if labor is in tight supply, is the fruit has to be hand-picked. “The grapes have to be in top condition, so you can’t machine-harvest them, for example, not when you’re shopping fresh fruit,” he says. “It is more work all the way around, so you’d better get a good price.”

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