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Headlines 25 million 20 million 15 million 10 million 5 million 3/9/06 3/9/07 Bulk Wine by Vintage Spring 2011 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 3/9/08 3/9/09 3/9/10 3/9/11 3/9/12 four years, according to Matt Turrentine, who spoke during the recent Central Coast Insights Program. The partner with Tur- rentine Wine Brokerage said, "We've un- disputedly entered a period of shortage for all areas and varieties." Turrentine added that in 2011 Califor- nia shipped out 257 million cases of wine, while the 2011 harvest only yielded the equivalent of 210 million cases—a dispar- ity of 47 million cases, or 750,000 tons. He said vineyard plantings did not keep pace with demand, and the recession had winery owners clearing out inventory. With actual inventory of bulk wine at its lowest point in more than a decade, Turrentine described the situation as a structural shortage. "There's not enough grapes for everyone to get what they want," he said. "We've all kind of run dry at the same time." Speaking to a crowd of about 200 Cen- tral Coast winery owners and grapegrow- ers, Turrentine detailed how the area's 2011 harvest was especially bitter. An ill- timed frost and disease pressure trimmed the Central Coast harvest by nearly 30%, Market in Shortage S an Luis Obispo, Calif.—The Cali- fornia wine market is experienc- ing a structural shortage and likely won't return to balance for at least California vineyards unable to meet growing demand a loss of about 25 million gallons. Turren- tine likened the amount to almost the high- est point of the bulk wine glut in 2005. Today bulk wine inventories are below 5 million gallons and, Turrentine said, "We expect to stay there. That's not a balanced market, that's a short market." In the past 12 months, Turrentine said most prices for the bulk wine have dou- bled. "The limited supply is being allocat- ed by price," he said. The global market is also tight. Turrentine said there is no wine-producing nation with an untapped reservoir of wine. Growers and wineries will need to plant more, but Tur- rentine said it would take four to six years to equalize the market. Plus, tight credit, lack of nursery stock, land costs, regulations and water present more challenges. Mark Couchman, president of Silverado Premium Properties and another speaker at the conference, recalled a négociant winery that was having trouble trying to sell just two years ago. At the time, he said, winer- ies viewed long-term grower contracts as liabilities; today those same contracts are seen as vital to surviving the changed market. —Andrew Adams winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "Turrentine shortage." MAY NEWS NEWS BY TE S D Wilsons acquire Pezzi King iane and Ken Wilson, owners of 6,000-case Wilson Winery & Vine- yards in Healds- burg, Calif., and other small special- ty producers in Sonoma and Mendocino counties, added Pezzi King Vineyards to their portfolio. The Wilsons bought the 137-acre Healdsburg vineyard property and production facility on West Dry Creek Road from Jim and Cynthia Rowe, who founded the 8,000-case winery in 1993. winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "Pezzi King." marKeting veterans on board Winegrape and Wine Commission with a five-year marketing plan. Burns led the Washington Wine M winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "Mendocino marketing." Commission and Washington Wine Insti- tute through much of its formative era. Chandler oversaw the Lodi Winegrape Commission for 20 years. (Read more about his tenure in Cliff Ohmart's Vineyard View column, "The End of an Era for Lodi," on page 86.) Walla Walla vineyards for sale SeVein vineyard project in the Walla Walla AVA are about to start marketing vine- yard parcels once more. Vintners Norm McKibben, Marty Clubb, Gary Figgins, Chris Figgins and Bob Rupar bought the property adjacent to their renowned Seven Hills Vineyard in the Or- egon part of the appellation in 2004. They had just started selling vineyard blocks in 2007 when the recession hit. Property par- cel sizes begin at 40 acres. Oregon allows wineries and tasting rooms to be built on vineyard ground, and several wineries are planning construction. A winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "SeVein Vineyard." Wines & Vines MAY 2012 17 fter taking a hiatus during the depths of the recession, partners from the large ark Chandler and Steve Burns have joined forces to help the Mendocino TURRENTINE BROKERAGE Gallons of bulk wine available