THEY'RE back. After years of being buffeted by a series of ill winds — from oversupplies of winegrapes both at home and abroad to a recession that hit restaurants and thus premium wine sales extremely hard — California's grape growers are back in the saddle and riding high. The situation is so far reversed from a few years ago, says the president and CEO of the grower cooperative Allied Grape Growers, Nat DiBuduo, that growers actually feel wanted. "I've never seen this much interest from wineries," said DiBuduo. "It's very unusual to have buyers still looking for grapes in late January and early February. They want to know if you have grapes, and if they can get them." DiBuduo, who serves on American/Western Fruit Grower's Editorial Advisory Board, said that the competition among wineries for fruit is so fierce, it's tough to get used to, not that he isn't enjoying it. "It's unheard of in my tenure here," says DiBuduo, who's been at Allied since 2005. "It bodes well for 2012 — if Mother Naturetakes care of us."
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