A Wine Business Monthly survey indicates Jackson Family Wines grows the most grapes in Sonoma County, followed by E&J Gallo. Other top growers include the pension fund owned by TIAA-CREF, Treasury Wine Estates and Rodney Strong Vineyards.
The survey was completed by phone, email, and analysis of Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner records and other public databases. Growers in the survey noted that planted vineyard acreage is bound to change as they pull vines or replant.
Tony Correia, president of The Correia Co., also expects to see new vineyard transactions. Some may be driven by the lack of family succession planning or “just plain owner fatigue” due to challenges property owners face, including; weather, regulations and a slowing wine market. Correia also predicts that larger wineries may decide to liquidate vineyards to improve financial performance.
Vineyard pricing in Sonoma, like in Napa, is either flat or up while prices in California’s other wine regions are down, according to Ciatti’s presentation during Wine Business Monthly’s Vineyard Economics Symposium (VES) in May.
Correia, who also spoke at VES, stated the average cost for prime vineyards in Russian River Valley or the Sonoma Coast runs between $175,000 and $180,000 per acre.
For a full list of the Top 100 Growers in Sonoma County, check out the July 2019 issue of Wine Business Monthly.
1. Jackson Family Wines, 3,700 acres
The Jackson family owns 3,700 acres of planted vineyards in Sonoma County, according to the company.
2. E&J Gallo, 3,665 acres
The biggest winery in the world owns 3,665 planted vineyard acres in Sonoma County, according to the company.
3. TIAA/Silverado Investment Management Group, 2,000 acres
TIAA/SIMCO has about 2,000 acres of planted vineyards in Sonoma County, according to the company.
4. Treasury Wine Estates, 1,375 acres
Treasury Wine Estates owns about 1,375 acres of planted vineyards in Sonoma County, according to the company.
5. Rodney Strong Vineyards, 1,369 acres
Rodney Strong owns about 1,369 acres of planted vineyards in Sonoma County, according to the company.
6. Ferrari-Carano Vineyards, 1,285 acres
Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery owns 1,285 planted vineyard acres in Sonoma County, according to the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner’s database.
7. Constellation Brands, 1,150 acres*
Constellation Brands owns about 1,150 acres of planted vineyards in Sonoma County, according to the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner’s database and other public records.
8. Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, 1,128 acres
Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards owns about 1,128 planted vineyard acres in Sonoma County, according to the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner’s public database.
9. Foley Family Wines, 1,100 acres
The Foley family owns about 1,100 acres of planted vineyards in Sonoma County, according to the company. The vineyards include Roth, Foley Sonoma, Chalk Hill, Sebastiani, and Lancaster Estate.
10. Sangiacomo Family Vineyards, 1,100 acres
Sangiacomo Family Vineyards owns about 1,100 acres of planted vineyards in Sonoma County, according to the company. The family also leases another 500 acres in the county.
Source: Wine Business