CorkonomicsThe economics of wine production, collection, and vineyards
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Vineyard land · Pauillac≈$2,798,250 a hectare▼ down 17% on 20232024Opening price · Château Lafite Rothschild 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 17% on the year beforeSold at auction · Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, DRC 2019$22,917 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Burgundy grand cru (Pinot Noir)$48–283US duty on wine from · Canada+50%since Aug 2026Everyday bottle in a US shop$13.77 a litre▼ down 1.3% in a yearSep 2026Vineyard land · Margaux≈$1,567,020 a hectare▼ down 7% on 20232024Opening price · Château Cheval Blanc 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 22% on the year beforeSold at auction · La Tâche Grand Cru, DRC 2018$5,417 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Champagne prestige cuvée$26–89US duty on wine from · Australia+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte-Rôtie≈$1,511,055 a hectare▲ up 8% on 20232024Opening price · Château Mouton Rothschild 2025≈$336 a bottle▲ up 19% on the year beforeSold at auction · Richebourg Grand Cru, DRC 2012$3,542 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Bordeaux classified growth (2nd–5th)$17–61US duty on wine from · New Zealand+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte de Nuits grand cru≈$7,275,450 a hectare2019Opening price · Château Palmer 2025≈$268 a bottle▼ down 19% on the year beforeVineyard land · Pomerol≈$2,238,600 a hectare2023
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Rutherford

Rutherford dust: Inglenook, Beaulieu, Scarecrow and the historic heart of Napa Cabernet.

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Rutherford
Treephoto · Wikimedia Commons · CC0

Rutherford AVA has about 3,500 planted acres, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon. Its old-vine sites — the J.J. Cohn estate behind Scarecrow was planted in 1945 — command prices at the top of the Napa range.

The essentials

Economics in brief

Rutherford AVA has about 3,500 planted acres, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon. Its old-vine sites — the J.J. Cohn estate behind Scarecrow was planted in 1945 — command prices at the top of the Napa range.

Key facts

Planted area
≈ 3,500 acresRutherford Dust Society

The numbers, for the curious

All regions →
InputLowMidHighUnitSource
Barrel aging, cult Cabernet2024 182124monthsEstate technical notes
New French oak barrel (225 l)2025 1,0001,2501,500USD/barrelCooperage price lists and trade report…
Mobile or in-house bottling2025 011USD/bottleMobile bottling line quotes
Vineyard establishment (years 1–3, excluding land)2020 45,00052,50060,000USD/acreUC Davis / UC Cooperative Extension
Winery construction2024 5,000,00017,500,00030,000,000USDTrade reporting on Napa winery project…
Distributor + retailer margin (three-tier)2024 6080100% on winery priceDistributor ≈ 25–30%
All varieties, District 4 (Napa) weighted average2024 6,9396,9396,939USD/tonCalifornia Grape Crush Report 2024
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, Napa County average2024 8,7009,1469,146USD/tonNapa County Agricultural Crop Report 2…
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, Napa County, 2025 crush2025 8,8648,9339,002USD/tonCalifornia Grape Crush Report 2025
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, per kilogram2024 101010USD/kgCorkonomics estimate from the inputs o…
Farming cost, premium/cult estate2024 12,00018,50025,000USD/acre/yearEstate interviews reported in the trad…
Hand harvest2024 1,5002,2503,000USD/acreUC Davis / UC Cooperative Extension

Where the inputs come from

  1. Estate technical notes (Harlan, Screaming Eagle, Dominus)
  2. Cooperage price lists and trade reporting (Wine Industry Network, Wines & Vines), 2024–2025
  3. Mobile bottling line quotes
  4. UC Davis / UC Cooperative Extension, Sample Costs to Establish a Vineyard and Produce Winegrapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa County (2020)
  5. Trade reporting on Napa winery projects; permitting is the constraint
  6. Distributor ≈ 25–30%, retailer ≈ 30–50% on their cost
  7. California Grape Crush Report 2024 (CDFA / USDA NASS)
  8. Napa County Agricultural Crop Report 2024
  9. California Grape Crush Report 2025, preliminary (CDFA / USDA NASS, March 2026)
  10. Corkonomics estimate from the inputs on this page
  11. Estate interviews reported in the trade press; organic, high-density, multiple passes

Producers

Aerial view of vineyards at sunrise with fog, Rutherford AVA, Napa Valley, California, USAProducerScarecrowOld-vine Cabernet from the J.J. Cohn estate in Rutherford — vines planted in 1945 — first made in 2003 and…

Famous wines

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Aerial view of vineyards at sunrise with fog, Rutherford AVA, Napa Valley, California, USAScarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon, RutherfordNapa Valley
Rutherford
Inglenook, 1991 St Helena Hwy, Rutherford, CA Lou Stejskal · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Rutherford
Inglenook - 26022139253 Lou Stejskal · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
The regionNapa ValleyCalifornia's home of rich, ripe Cabernet Sauvignon.About the region
Last reviewed: September 2026Report an error on this page

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