The wine business has been brutal the last couple of years, and the numbers tell the story. Growers across California pulled out more than 38,000 acres of winegrapes in a single year — about 7% of the state's vineyards — and San Joaquin and Fresno counties led the whole state in removals. A lot of that fruit was left to rot on the vine because there was no contract to sell it. If you're sitting on a vineyard that's not pulling its weight, you're not alone, and you're not behind the curve for thinking about a change.
For a lot of growers, the next move isn't another permanent crop — it's row crops. Going back to something annual gives you flexibility that a vineyard or an orchard never will, and that flexibility is worth a lot right now. Here's how I'd think about it, and how we'd get your ground ready.
Why row crops make sense for a lot of growers right now
A vineyard or an orchard locks you in. You're committing the ground for years before you see a return, and if the market turns on you — like it has on wine — you're stuck watching it. Row crops are the opposite. You can change what you plant season to season, idle the ground if water gets tight, and respond to the market instead of being trapped by a decision you made years ago.
That flexibility is exactly why a lot of growers coming out of grapes are looking at row crops instead of replanting another permanent crop. Some go to almonds or olives, sure. But plenty are choosing to get back to annual ground precisely because they don't want to make another ten-year bet right now.
The decision is about the ground, not just the vines
The vines coming out is the easy part. The real question is what you want that ground doing for the next several years — and row crops open up options that a vineyard closes off.
A few things worth weighing before you make the call:
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Your water Row crops let you scale water use up or down by season and even idle ground in a dry year. Under SGMA, that flexibility has real value.
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Your soil and layout Vineyard ground farmed in tight rows for years needs proper prep before it'll work as open row-crop ground. The berms, the old vine rows, the compaction — all of it has to be dealt with.
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What's underground Vineyards leave behind a lot you don't want in your new ground: wire, stakes, drip line, trellis posts, and roots. Get that wrong and it costs you for years.
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Your plan Are you committing to row crops long term, or keeping the ground flexible until the wine market settles out? Either is fine — but it changes how you'd want the ground prepped.
This is a conversation to have with your farm advisor and the people who know your operation. We're happy to be in that conversation and tell you what we've seen work — but the cropping decision is yours.
Vineyard removal is its own animal
Taking out a vineyard is different from pulling an orchard, and if it's not done right you'll be finding the evidence with your equipment for years. There's a lot of material woven through a vineyard that has to come out cleanly.
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Pull vines and root systems Full excavation with Cat equipment — roots out, not just cut at grade. Buried root masses cause settling and harbor disease exactly where you don't want it.
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Remove the complete trellis system Wire, stakes, posts, and end assemblies — all of it comes out. This is the step that separates a clean job from one that bites you later.
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Pull drip tubing and irrigation All drip lines, fittings, and mains extracted before grinding so no debris gets buried in the chips.
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Tear down the vineyard berms Old raised rows don't farm like open ground. We pull the berms and level the field so it's actually usable for row-crop equipment.
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Deep rip and prep the field Years of vineyard traffic compact the soil in patterns that hurt row-crop performance. We rip and finish the ground so it farms clean — not like an old vineyard with the vines gone.
The wire is the one that bites people. Leave bits of trellis wire in the ground and it will jam your equipment and tangle your tillage long after the vineyard is a memory. We take wire removal seriously — because we farm too, and we know what it costs to clean up someone else's shortcut.
What happens to the material
You can't burn a vineyard removal in the Valley anymore — open burning of removals has been banned since the start of 2025. So the vines and wood get ground and either reincorporated into your soil or hauled off. For ground headed to row crops, we'll talk through which makes more sense for your situation.
There's also an Air District grant program that helps cover the cost of chipping instead of burning — we walk every client through how it works. The reimbursement runs $300–$1,300 per acre, which on a large block is a meaningful offset against your removal costs. Apply before you pull, not after.