Not just California dreamin'

摘要

Michael Thomas of Sunridge Nurseries is optimistic about California's wine grape outlook. With the expected glut of wine grapes in California -- one industry expert flatly told those attending the annual meeting of the California Winegrape Growers not to plant any vines this year -- it would seem a less-than-optimal time to be in the nursery business. Michael Thomas would disagree. Thomas is the new manager of out-of-state sales for Sunridge Nurseries of Bakersfield, CA. And he sees tremendous opportunities around the country, especially in New York, Virginia, North Carolina, and Texas. California is so dominant in wine grape growing that it's easy to forget that wine grapes are grown in nearly every state in the nation. More and more people are getting interested in drinking local wines made from local fruit, which spurs demand among growers for more vines. "They're not as impacted by the oversupply in California," Thomas says.