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Zirkle Fruit moves into wine
The two 50-ton grape presses came from Italy and fit perfectly when put in place
Bulk wine prices stay strong
Washington wine producers can expect strong prices for red bulk wines for the next several
Auction benefits research
Washington State’s wine industry will receive a big windfall this year when the Auction of
Why it matters where you sell your grapes
Colin Morrell With 700 wineries in Washington State and numerous more in neighboring states, wine
Wine Wheel of Fortune
California is facing an emerging wine shortage, according to Stephens Moody with Turrentine Brokerage in
Juice grape crop down in 2012
Washington State produced an estimated 174,000 tons of juice grapes in 2012, down from its
Where is the juice grape market headed?
Greg MacGill On the surface, Washington State’s juice grape industry looks the picture of good
New player enters Concord juice deal
The last berries of a Concord grape delivery make their way from the receiving station
Newest AVA
Cameron Fries of White Heron Cellars was one of several who worked to create the
The best clone for Washington
Don’t get too hung up on planting the right clone, say two noted wine industry
Not your typical nursery
Markus Freepons of Northwest Vinifera, showed his grape callusing pits during a field day held
The no-family dilemma
You’ve invested your life in building a vineyard, winery, or other agricultural enterprise, producing a
Other teaching programs
Washington State has several educational options for students interested in viticulture and enology. A four-year
Classes for Hispanics
Wenatchee Valley College will offer two employee educational programs for the 2012-2013 academic year—level one
Research project tackles trunk diseases
Researchers will use nearly $1.8 million in grant money to develop new detection, extension, and
Robotic pruning
Vision Robotics is well along in developing a robotic pruner for grapes, shown at
Students follow grapes from berry to bottle
During the second week of class, having had just two lectures to learn about safety
Vineyard and winery courses go online
Yakima Valley Community College, through a national science grant, is transitioning its vineyard and winery
Grape growers to visit Capitol Hill
Washington State diversified farmer Brenton Roy wants to see more of the state’s wine grape
Last Bite
Winemaking in France is believed to date back at least 2,600 years to the founding
Good to Know
Brown marmorated stinkbugs feed on the foliage and fruit of grapevines. Grape growers
Clean vines keep viruses out
Washington State University postdoctorate student Femi Alabi demonstrates how grape tissue is analyzed for
Plant in clean ground
Grape selections that come out of the Clean Plant Center-Northwest Grapes are certified to be
Continued strong demand for vines
Northwest grape growers thinking about planting vines in the near future are advised to plan
The story of champagne
Champagne is the wine produced from grapes grown in the northernmost vineyards of France. Even
Lake Chelan sparkles
Julie Pittsinger checks on her four-year-old planting of Pinot Meunier, one of the grapes traditionally
Busting the low-yield myth
Some winemakers still insist on low yields regardless of the vine’s balance or capacity
Rootstocks don’t affect wine
Markus Keller says growers in eastern Washington now have no reason to fear using rootstocks.
Muscat, old but new
Muscat grapes are used in a variety of wine styles, from off-dry to sweet to
Moscato madness
The Moscato craze started with Gallo's Barefoot Cellars, when it released a light, sweet wine
Muscat plantings on the rise
Muscat grape varieties, the hottest selling wines in America, have also been the hottest selling grape nursery stock. And while there’s been an uptick in Muscat plantings in Washington State, in general, the state’s wine industry is taking a cautious approach to the latest wine fad.
Sustainable program for wineries launched
Wine bottle corks are repurposed as mulch, an example of sustainable practices implemented at Snoqualmie
Vineyard replanting economics
When replanting an existing vineyard, a grower has three scenarios to choose from—replace plants and
A report card for juice grapes
A team of Washington State’s juice grape industry members and university scientists has begun a
Choosing not to replant
An example of layering, in which a cane is brought from the old Cabernet Sauvignon
Sustainability can be economical
More than 160 photovoltaic panels rest on the rooftop of Powers Winery, generating about 20
Organic viticulture is all about timing
Bill Powers used common materials—screen mesh, bottoms of plastic jugs—to construct his pest fan. Melissa
Going without sulfites
Greg Powers knows viticulture and enology from the ground up and was manager for the
Finding a better way
All of the vines at Badger Mountain Vineyard are trained to the Scott-Henry trellis system.
Balancing nitrogen in grapes and wine
Catherine Jones, middle, puts Merlot grapes through a destemmer under the watchful eye of her
Are Washington Merlots Sideways?
Harold Thoreen of Antoine Creek Vineyard near Chelan, Washington, son Colin, and Harold’s wife Suzanne
Merlot’s place in Washington
Merlot grapes have had a strong presence in Washington State since 1956 when the late
High density not for Concords
A Washington State University study found that traditional spacings for juice grapes—around six feet between
Alcohol depresses wine aromas
Ethanol (alcohol) interacts with sensory attributes of wine and can decrease the potency of aromas
The myths of high-alcohol wine
The recent trend of higher alcohol wines is related to winemakers wanting riper fruit so
New pests threaten Washington grapes
Doug Walsh, holding a mealybug pheromone trap, says that such traps have been used throughout
Trapping for grape mealybug
Brian Bahder transfers a first-instar grape mealybug from a grapevine leafroll-diseased Concord vine to a
Bunch rot, a different beast
Michelle Moyer reminds growers who had powdery mildew problems last year to prepare for disease
New variety has it all
Grape breeder Peter Hemstad is also co-owner of Minnesota's St. Croix Vineyards. His winery won
Economy down, wine sales up
Despite a bleak economic picture for many Americans, it’s a good time for Washington State