{
  "id": 10590155,
  "title": "California farmers are struggling to sell grapes as demand for wine drops",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/california-farmers-are-struggling-to-sell-grapes-as-demand-for-wine",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-28T20:00:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hacker News",
    "slug": "hacker-news",
    "url": "https://www.kqed.org/news/12101534/california-farmers-are-struggling-to-sell-grapes-as-demand-for-wine-drops"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "California's wine industry is grappling with a sharp decline in demand, forcing many farmers to face financial struggles. Harvest season in the state's wine country is underway, but the market for grapes has plummeted, leaving growers with surplus crops and mounting losses. Wine sales have dropped by more than 20% over the past five years, prompting some vineyard owners to tear out their vineyards, which have been in their families for generations. Third-generation grower Bill Berryhill shared his frustration in a vineyard filled with unsold merlot grapes, lamenting the waste of hard work and healthy grapes. Many growers are left with no choice but to harvest at a loss, replace their vineyards with more profitable crops, or leave the vines standing. While some growers can sell their grapes at a loss for use in concentrated syrup, the market remains depressed, making it difficult to grow profitably. The decline in wine sales is attributed to aging baby boomers, younger generations' reduced alcohol consumption, and competition from other beverages. As California produces over 80% of U.S. wine, the industry faces a significant challenge in balancing supply and demand and finding new consumer preferences.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}