Despite the struggle of many grape farmers, such as Samran, the California wine industry as a whole is faring well after two record years of production, which will keep wine supplies flowing for a while.

But the outlook varies across the state. Mendocino County wineries and growers throughout the Central Valley are feeling the pinch, while Napa and Santa Barbara counties are doing fine. “Most think they’ll make it through 2014 OK,” said Ron Lopp, communications manager at the California Association of Winegrape Growers in Sacramento.

The effect may be felt next year, when the buds of the vine produce shoots and bunches. The stress of a drought can affect the quality of the fruit. “We’re talking about next year’s crop,” said Nat DiBuduo, president of Allied Grape Growers in Fresno. “If we have a light crop of chardonnay and sauvignon blanc in 2014, you won’t feel that until 2015.”

Most growers rely on surface irrigation provided by the state. “That means they either have to rely on deep wells if they have an existing pumping plant or they’re looking to develop a new well,” DiBuduo said. But much of the groundwater on the west side of the Central Valley has high salt content, which can kill the vines.

Part of the reason for the record wine grape harvest in the last two years is that more and more acreage is going to the vines. Wine consumption has been increasing every year for 19 consecutive years, and grape wine acreage has gone from 535,000 acres to 546,000 acres in two years.

In Paso Robles, an estimated 4,000 acres of new vines were planted from August 2011 to August 2013. San Luis Obispo County supervisors last summer put a moratorium on new vineyards and other developments.

“A number of large areas of land have been very recently converted from dry land farming or grazing to vineyards,” the county resolution said. “This drought has likely exacerbated the effects of the recent increase in water intensive agricultural … and contributes to the emergency situation facing homeowners whose wells have very recently gone dry or are about to go dry.”