This article by Mr Randy Caparoso, as well as its follow-up, hit the nail on the head regarding the challenges of keeping old vineyards in the ground:
Lodi Wine Grape Commission blog post:
“Last Rites for Lodi’s Old Vine Growths”
by Randy Caparoso
September 15, 2017
"Last week, half-way through the frantic (aren’t they all?) 2017 harvest, Mr. [Kevin] Phillips [Vice President of Operations for Lodi’s wildly successful Michael David Winery and its agricultural arm, Phillips Farms] took the time to send out an FYI, saying: ‘I think a lot of old vine zins will be getting yanked out of the ground this year, mostly due to labor shortages. Lodi will obviously be ground zero for this phenomenon. This is living history being demolished; the very story that actually helps Lodi attract media attention.’
"…Aaron Shinn, Vineyard Manager for Lodi’s Round Valley Ranches, tells us, ‘This is a shared concern of mine… but the removal of these heritage blocks is the unfortunate collateral damage of the current business climate in California. The bottom line is, as a grower, you have to be paid an ever-increasing premium to justify the rising expense and low yield of old head trained vines.’
"Vino Farms LLC Vice President Craig Ledbetter agrees; telling us: ‘This is a revenue issue. You cannot continue to farm these old blocks of Zinfandel that do not produce at a level that keeps price sustainable. Today the Zinfandel market is struggling, and growers cannot afford to farm at 3-5 tons/acre because the total revenue per acre is not a return that keeps growers in business. At the end of the day, we growers farm to make a living, not break even or even lose money.’
"…The long, productive, close working relationship between Lodi growers and giant sized, value wine producers may, in fact, may be the region’s undoing. Tegan Passalacqua – the Winemaker/Manager of Turley Wine Cellars as well as owner of his own Kirschenmann Vineyard on Lodi’s east side – minces no words in saying: 'The loss of old vine vineyards is not just a labor issue. I don’t want to name names, but this is really on the big wineries who are offering just $550/ton, whereas just a few years ago they were offering $900/ton plus bonuses for hand picked, old vine Zinfandel.
“‘This year I’ve heard that some growers were dropped by the big guys because they wouldn’t take their low-ball offerings. I know Kevin Phillips picked up some of those vineyards after contracts were dropped. Michael David pays considerably more, but they can’t ‘save’ all of them. So I can understand Kevin’s frustration.’
"The issue, says Passalacqua, is also a ‘grape/bottle price ratio’ that simply doesn’t work for old vine plantings going into wines selling for less than $10/bottle. ‘The thing is,’ says Passalcqua, '$550/ton is maybe a break-even point for Lodi growers. When yields are less than 5 tons, like many were this year, it’s a loss. The problem is that big wineries that have had a lock on many of Lodi’s old vines just don’t value them the way we do in, say, Napa Valley. Many of the winemakers and vineyard managers who work for the big wineries may care deeply about old vines and growers in Lodi, but not their CFOs. Ironically, of course, if Lodi loses most of these old vineyards, what’s left of them will finally become valuable.
“‘In Napa, for instance, you can no longer find Zinfandel, old or young, for even $5,000/ton. It’s impossible, as much as wineries like Robert Biale and Turley are willing to pay for them. If that happens to Lodi, I guarantee a lot of growers who tore out their old vines will kick themselves in the pants later. Maybe Lodi as a community needs to work harder on finding wineries outside the region who can appreciate the old vines a little more – before it’s too late.’"[/i]