When Brandon Sywassink pulled into a Lodi winery with truckloads of freshly picked grapes, he thought he was delivering a year’s worth of work. It was the culmination of months spent pruning, watering and praying for good weather.
Instead, he was told to dump them.
“We had a handful of grapes, well, I might say, handful truckloads of grapes that were rejected at the winery for low brix,” Sywassink, general manager of Manna Ranch in San Joaquin County, recently told CBS Sacramento [1].
In the wine world, ‘brix’ measures sugar content. The higher the number, the richer and more alcoholic the wine. His contract required 24 brix. His crop measured 23.9, barely missing the mark. That 0.1% shortfall was enough to erase an entire year’s income.
“It hurts a lot just to watch it,” he said. “Farmers get a paycheck once a year, and we didn’t get a paycheck that day.”
The 25 tons of grapes, worth between $10,000 and $15,000, were dumped into a nearby field to rot.
The Lodi Winegrape Commission says stories like Sywassink’s are becoming more common as California growers face tighter quality requirements from the large wineries that dominate the industry.
“They’re being held to very difficult standards,” said Stuart Spencer, the commission’s executive director. “Simultaneously, these same wineries are bringing in millions of gallons of wine from overseas instead of purchasing these local grapes.”
The combination of strict domestic standards and cheap foreign imports are squeezing smaller producers like Sywassink, who depend on a single buyer to make their living.
“They’re just at the total mercy of these large companies,” Spencer said. “We have to have in place some sort of code of conduct that makes it an equal partnership because right now, the growers have no choice.”
Farming was never easy money, but it’s getting harder. The USDA estimates that net farm income fell about 23% in 2024 [2], while input costs like fertilizer (up 37%), seed (18%), and fuel (32%) have soared since 2020 [3]. Unlike most workers, farmers often rely on one annual payout, and if a crop is rejected there’s no second chance until the following season.
The mild summer that softened Sywassink’s grapes is part of a growing challenge: climate volatility. It’s not just droughts or wildfires, even subtle shifts in humidity, sunlight or rainfall can alter a crop’s chemistry and throw off years of planning.
Many small growers in California sell exclusively to one or two wineries under long-term contracts. That relationship offers stability. Until it doesn’t.
The buyer usually decides everything: the harvest window, delivery schedule, and quality standards. If the product doesn’t meet those specifications – even by a fraction – the grower can lose the sale and absorb the loss.
In theory, rejected grapes can be sold to juice or vinegar producers, but after trucking and processing fees, the economics often don’t work.
“It hurts. It hurts,” Sywassink sighed.
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The lesson here isn’t just agricultural — it’s financial. Sywassink’s experience underscores the importance of diversification, preparation, and awareness of climate risk. Lessons that apply to anyone managing money or investments.
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Don’t rely on a single source of income. Farmers depending on one buyer face the same risk as freelancers or small-business owners with one client. Build multiple revenue streams if you can.
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Insure your livelihood. Crop insurance through the USDA Risk Management Agency can help offset losses from weather or rejected harvests. For other workers, that means disability, income, or business insurance, tools that keep you solvent when life turns.
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Investors: note the climate premium. For anyone investing in agribusiness stocks, farmland REITs, or crop insurance ETFs, this story is a reminder that climate risk isn’t just about drought or wildfires. Subtle changes in temperature or rainfall timing can reshape entire industries, and profit margins.
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Reassess regional exposure. As regions like California’s Central Valley face tighter climate tolerances, farmland investors may need to rethink valuations and growth projections. Land that once looked stable may become riskier as crops struggle to meet contract specs [4].
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Support local supply chains. Consumers can play a part, too. When you pick up a bottle labeled ‘Lodi Appellation’ or ‘California Estate Grown,’ you’re supporting growers like Sywassink, and keeping your dollars in American communities.
Despite losing his crop, Sywassink says he’s not walking away. He plans to try again next year.
“Lodi has given me so much and I want to be able to give back to Lodi,” he said. “That’s why I want to tell people how great so many products are here, grown here, that we can all buy and help support each other.”
In a year where a 0.1% sugar shortfall meant financial ruin, his story shows just how fragile the balance is for a good crop — and how resilient America’s small farmers have to be.
Because in today’s global wine market, one truckload of grapes can be the difference between a good vintage and a devastating loss.
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CBS Sacramento (1); The Farm Bureau (2); USDA (3); UC Riverside (4)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
