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February 23, 2007
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2007-02-23
What is vineyard yield?
A vineyard’s yield is the amount of grapes it produces at harvest, usually measured in tons per acre of vines. In California, this number can vary over a wide range because we have such a broad spectrum of wine producers, from small, artisan wineries with estate vineyards that yield about two tons per acre to large producers of inexpensive wines who cultivate their vineyards to get 12 or 15 tons of grapes per acre.
Differences in yield occur because vineyards manage their vines differently throughout the growing season. Some intentionally cut back on the amount of fruit on the vines with the intent of leaving a vineyard that produces fewer grapes but has more intense flavor.
But as in any other business, production control is an economic decision as well. If you can get more results from your raw materials, you can sell more product and generate more revenue. So there is a constant balancing act between quantity and quality going on at wineries of all sizes.
A winery’s production is normally measured in cases of wine per year. A typical small winery’s production will be a few thousand cases a year. The largest producers in California, such as Gallo, Beringer and Kendall-Jackson, each make over five million cases a year. Their popular wines are made from high-yielding vineyards scattered across various wine regions of the state and thus priced very competitively. But each one also offers finely crafted wines made from smaller appellations and single vineyards whose higher prices reflect the lower-yields per acre of vineyard.
How much wine does a typical acre produce? If you take an average vineyard yield of 5 tons, you would be able to make about 800 gallons of wine. This would generate a little over 4000 bottles of wine, or around 340 cases. So, on average, how many grapes does it take to yield a bottle of wine? Generally speaking, around two-and-a-half pounds.
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