I was coming up I-5 yesterday and noticed a couple almond groves entirely ripped up by the roots.
We were in Napa Valley with the kids the weekend after Christmas and saw a lot of vineyards ripped out. I was wondering if the world’s appetite was finally being sated. One of the tasting rooms told us that many of the vines are at the end of their economic life. Phylloxera broke out in 1983 and by the late 1990s nearly 75% of the affected vineyards had been replanted with phylloxera-resistant rootstock. Vines are economically productive 20 - 30 years, so it’s time to start with new vines. I didn’t see any evidence that wine grapes are short of water — thank God!