However, any significant increase in the supply of grapes will likely have a ripple effect on prices on the North and Central coasts. However, work by growers, win eries and other groups to promote Sonoma County's image as a pre mier wine region has created consumer awareness and strong demand for Sonoma County wines, said Rick Theis, executive director of the Sonoma County Grape Growers Association. I think we will weather the storm better than most areas, even better than other areas in the North Coast,'' Theis said. North Coast growers will be insulated somewhat from the im pact of the big vineyard expansions in the Central Valley, because of the quality and reputation of their grapes. But they will not be totally immune, Bedwell said.
People begin to think differently about their ability to procure grapes.
If the 1997 harvest meets expec tations, consumers will start seeing more California wine on store shelves. Arriving in '98 Consumers could start seeing the first wines made with these grapes in the summer of 1998, when wineries will start releasing their 1997 chardonnays and other white wines. Red wines, which are typi cally aged longer than whites, will follow. Consumers will start to see big bottles of chardonnay and merlot replace chablis and burgundy on store shelves. As wine and grape prices fall, growers with marginal results will start pulling vineyards out of pro duction.