Watch CBS News

California Wine-Grape Growers Celebrating A Record Harvest

MODESTO (CBS/AP) -- California agriculture officials are reporting good news for wine lovers and vineyard operators alike: a record harvest of wine grapes.

Growers in the nation's premier wine region brought in a bumper crop last year, thanks to expanded acreage and overall favorable weather.

Wine grapes are one of California's top commodities, a crop worth $3.16 billion last year, according to the California Association of Winegrape Growers.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture's preliminary figures show that the crop of red and white varieties combined weighed in at 4.23 million tons, up 5 percent from 4.02 million tons in 2012.

Wine brokers say those two large harvests will mean wine aficionados should find plenty of bargain bottles on grocery store shelves.

© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.