CA Wineries Are Burning Vineyards As Sales Plummet: 'It Makes Me Sick'

Turmoil in California's wine industry has reached such a degree that growers are burning their vineyards, according to reports.

"There's literally no way for me to make money," Jason Smith, CEO of Valley Farm Management, recently told The New York Times.

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Smith, who the Times reported watched at least one of his pinot noir vineyards burn, chose to sell his land and shutter the family business of 51 years.

Wine sales nationwide have reached their lowest level in over two decades, the Times reported, as health warnings about the risk of alcohol grow. Baby Boomers are aging out of a historical love affair with wine, as the beverage competes against cannabis and cocktails with the younger crowd, Inc. reported.

About 38,000 acres of wine grapes last year were pulled out across the state, roughly 7 percent of all grapes planted, according to the Times, per the California Association of Winegrape Growers. Over 500,000 tons went unpicked, the newspaper reported, citing industry estimates.

"It makes me sick to my stomach pulling out vineyards that have been planted 80 to 100 years ago by farmers' grandparents and parents that have been long gone," Randy Baranek of Fowler Brothers Farming, whose crews burn 4,000 acres annually, told Inc. "It's like we're erasing history."

It's not all bad news for the wine industry, though, Inc. reported, citing a 2026 Silicon Valley Bank report — the top quartile of wineries is growing sales by roughly 8 percent, although the bottom quartile is shrinking around 10 percent.