Economics of Dry Farming Winegrapes

(Wines&Vines) - Before irrigation systems became available and practical, dry farming was standard practice for planting and managing wine grapes in California. Dry farming is still possible and successfully used by some growers, but it is site-specific and dependent on annual rainfall, climate, soil type and grape variety. The economics of dry farming are a key consideration in relation to grape yields and prices.

“Dry Farming Winegrapes,” an educational forum jointly organized by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), the Amador County Wine Grape Growers Association and the Lodi Winegrape Commission (LWC) was held April 16 in the Shenandoah Valley of Amador County in California’s Sierra Foothills. Growers here continue to dry farm, where feasible, part of Amador’s 2,000 acres of Zinfandel as it was historically, when grapegrowing began after the Gold Rush. In the Lodi area, LWC grower program coordinator Matt Hoffman estimates less than 100 acres are dry farmed, but growers and winemakers in both Lodi and Amador counties are interested in the potential benefits of dry farming for grape quality and water conservation.