Kern County wine vineyards shrink by thousands of acres as growers face market pressures

But across Kern County, thousands of acres of wine-grape vineyards are being torn out anyway. County crop reports show wine-grape acreage has fallen from 25,250 acres in 2020 to 18,900 acres in 2024. Local growers say oversupply, weakening consumer demand and rising production costs are forcing the removals — regardless of how good the crop looks. Dobbs said the oversupply of wine grapes traces back to a period of high demand roughly a decade ago, when widespread planting eventually outpaced the market. Those working in the wine industry say wine grapes, like many agricultural commodities, move in cycles.