From the Press Democrat:

Winery sales and profits have slowly started to rebound and North Coast grape growers, who were battered by falling prices and erratic weather last year, should enjoy stronger demand for their fruit if the recovery continues.

“We see measured improvement as we look at 2011,” Glenn Proctor, a partner at San Rafael grape brokerage Ciatti Company, told growers Thursday at a conference in Santa Rosa. “It’s going to take some time but we see prices coming up, demand coming up.”

That would be welcome news for grape growers who endured one of the toughest growing seasons in memory last year. Early mold, unusually cool temperatures, sudden heat spikes and a rainy harvest all made the 2010 harvest a nightmare for many.

Analysts: Better times ahead for grape growers