Potential early harvest: How is the market responding?
With vineyard development across California continuing well ahead of a normal timetable, harvest 2026 now feels just around the corner: This month’s California Report details how suppliers and buyers of bulk wine and grapes have been responding. Many growers are starting to consider calling a halt to farming their uncontracted vineyards, if they have not done so already, which could curb desirable grape availability for those buyers planning a late-season purchase.
While April and May temperatures were mainly within a normal range, precipitation levels swung from above average in April to below in May, before the Coast received some heavy rain events toward the end of the month. April-May rainfall has led to some reports of shatter and mildew, the latter of especial concern given the number of vineyards already mothballed. This month’s report assesses vineyard conditions by region and considers what kind of harvest size can be expected.
Buyers seeking current-vintage wines must be mindful of the limited size of the 2025 harvest and – very likely – the coming 2026 harvest too. The California Report this month continues its series drilling down into the bulk inventory listed with Ciatti, first by vintage year and then by location. Some case-good programs are showing improved sale performances and this month’s SipSource update identifies some areas of positivity in US wholesaler depletions. However, overall sales stabilization remains elusive, and bulk inventory is still significant: Suppliers hesitating to accept offers are urged to “ruthlessly interrogate their options.”
The recently-published BMO Wine Market Report 2026 provided a sobering insight into wine sales in the US, stating that, in less than a decade, “the amount of wine entering the US market from California has declined nearly 25%”. It quoted a WineBusiness Analytics survey of US wineries conducted earlier this year that found only 25% were not holding excess inventory. The wine industry in California, as around the world, is experiencing acute credit and cashflow challenges and – until case-good sales stabilize – reductions in vineyard area and the number of operators will continue.
Read the full Ciatti California Report for June
Bulk wine suppliers are invited to list their 2025 wines with us and send in samples, and ensure they have their 2024 wines on our inventory list, so we are able to harness buyer interest as it arises.
Grape growers are recommended to inform us of the grapes they may have available next year, in 2026, so we can work to match-up suppliers with buyers.
Please contact Mark (+1 415 630 2548 / mark@ciatti.com ), Michael (+1 415 630 2541 / michael@ciatti.com ) or the Ciatti Customer Account Team ( cargroup@ciatti.com ).