Cabernet Sauvignon tops California’s $3M 2024 wine crush

California is the nation’s leading producer of wine grapes, both in total volume and varietal assortment, with a handful of varieties shouldering the majority of the state’s wine grape crush.

According to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) California Grape Crush report, Golden State wine grape growers produced more than 100 wine grape varieties in 2024.

Despite that diversity, production remained concentrated among a small number of varietals. Six distinct grape varieties accounted for nearly two-thirds of the 2024 wine grape crush:

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Pinot Noir
• Zinfandel
• Chardonnay
• French Colombard
• Pinot Gris

Total wine grape crush in California jumped up to 2.884 million tons in 2024, according to the report, with Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon combining to represent more than one-third of California’s total tonnage.

Among the top six varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon recorded the highest average price at $2,182 per ton, followed by Chardonnay at $1,057 per ton.

The total value of California’s 2024 grape crush came in at $2.99 billion, which is a 26% decrease from 2023. The decline reveals a 3% year-over-year reduction in average price across all varieties and a 24% reduction in total crush volume, including table- and raisin-type grapes.