(Decanter) - Wine producers across the northern hemisphere are beginning their grape harvest, with many expecting a much smaller crop, and some seeking comfort in optimistic predictions of quality. In California, consumer wine bargains are drying up as grape supplies are set to remain tight, despite forecasts of a bigger harvest in 2012. California's 2012 wine grape crop is predicted to be 3.7m tonnes, up 9% on last year, according to official figures. While a bigger harvest would relieve some supply pressure on the state's wineries, it is not likely to be enough to stop the price of wine on the shelf going up.