Mendocino Merlot Crush Falls to Six-Year Low

Mendocino County growers crushed 1,819 tons of merlot in the 2025 harvest, the smallest crush in at least six years.

Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Wine

Photograph of dark merlot grape clusters hanging on vines across a sloping vineyard hillside under warm late-afternoon light, with oak trees on a distant ridge. — Mendocino County growers crushed 1,819 tons of merlot in 2025, the smallest harvest in at least six years, with average prices down about 8% to $1,323 a ton. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Mendocino County growers crushed 1,819 tons of merlot in the 2025 harvest, down from 2,554 tons in 2024. Wineries paid an average of $1,323 a ton for the variety, a price about 8% lower.

Why it matters

The shrinking merlot crush and lower grape prices point to pressure on growers of the variety in one of California's notable wine-producing counties. The figures show how supply and price are moving together for a grape that many consumers associate with the state's wine.

The figures come from the state's final grape crush report and grape acreage report. Mendocino merlot acreage fell to 1,085 acres in 2025 from 1,124 acres in 2024, while cabernet sauvignon stood at 3,015 acres, and the reports do not attribute the decline to a specific cause.

The players

Steve Amato

Steve Amato is a Mendocino County grape grower who farms near Hopland.

The details

Steve Amato, a grower farming near Hopland, is among the Mendocino producers affected by the lower merlot prices. The county's merlot crush in 2025 was the smallest in at least six years, following 3,375 tons crushed in 2022.

2022: Mendocino County crushed 3,375 tons of merlot.
2024: Mendocino County crushed 2,554 tons of merlot.
2025 harvest: Mendocino County crushed 1,819 tons of merlot.
Saturday, November 7, 2026: International Merlot Day is celebrated.

Season Trajectory

The state's annual final grape crush report tracks Mendocino merlot tonnage year to year, and the 2025 figure extends a decline from 3,375 tons in 2022 to 1,819 tons. The drop places the variety at its lowest point in that series for the county.

Wine shoppers buying merlot may see the effect of a smaller crush and lower grape prices in the cost structure of the wines they buy, though the reports do not state retail price changes. Consumers interested in the variety can look for merlot from Mendocino producers as the 2026 harvest approaches.

The takeaway

The merlot figures show that a smaller crush and lower prices can happen together, a pattern worth watching for anyone tracking California wine supply. Readers who follow the variety can compare future crush reports to see whether the 2025 low holds.