Pinot boom goes bust

(Top) A view of vineyards in Monterey County, California. So much wine has gone unsold in California that it is often cheaper to let grapes rot on the vine than to harvest them. — Nic Coury/The New York Times

IN California, a place famous around the world for its viticulture, winemakers produced less wine last year than at any point in the last quarter century.

It’s often cheaper to let grapes rot on the vine than to harvest them because so many unsold bottles clog the shelves of storerooms and wine shops.