DUNDEE, Ore. - Winemakers in the heart of Oregon wine country are gearing up for another early harvest. Alex Sokol Blosser, second-generation Dundee Hills winemaker, said he could be picking Pinot Noir before his calendar flips to September. Last year, his Pinot Noir harvest started Sept. 5. "In 1987, my parents started picking Pinot Noir in August," he told Great … [Read more...] about Willamette Valley winemakers gear up for early harvest
Grapes
Washington on track for record wine grape harvest
Washington is likely to crush a record amount of wine grapes this fall, perhaps as much as a quarter-million tons. The Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers (WAWGG) has released its annual crop estimate at 258,570 tons. It is important to note that the crop estimate is not a crush estimate but rather a tool for wine grape growers and winemakers to consider as they … [Read more...] about Washington on track for record wine grape harvest
Cooler temperatures put brakes on Washington’s 2016 vintage
The Columbia Valley's topsy-turvy weather is turning the 2016 vintage into one of the most unusual in Washington wine history. "I don't know if I've seen a year like this before," said Damon LaLonde, who manages several vineyards on Red Mountain and his own French Creek Vineyard in the Yakima Valley. "I've had a hard time just figuring out how to irrigate. I don't know what … [Read more...] about Cooler temperatures put brakes on Washington’s 2016 vintage
Walla Walla’s Jeff Popick retires this week from viticulture program
WALLA WALLA, Wash. - As much as he wishes this gig could go on for a few more years, this is the last week that Jeff Popick will be the viticulture instructor at Walla Walla Community College. Popick, a longtime California grape grower and winemaker, arrived in Walla Walla six years ago and leaves today with one disappointment: that he didn't start sooner. "My biggest … [Read more...] about Walla Walla’s Jeff Popick retires this week from viticulture program
Kiona remains Washington’s Lemberger champion
RED MOUNTAIN, Wash. - Whenever JJ Williams reads another story about the demise of Lemberger, he shakes his head, checks his sales numbers and smiles. The champion of Washington Lemberger finds the obscure Austrian red grape to be easy to sell and wonderful to drink. Williams is the sales manager for Kiona Vineyards & Winery, Red Mountain's original grape grower and … [Read more...] about Kiona remains Washington’s Lemberger champion