WALLA WALLA, WA - The bad economy has hit the Northwest wine industry hard. That’s especially true in the market for high-end wines. In the last 20 years, Washington alone has added 600 new wineries. Now, signs of stress are leaking out in one of the region’s wine hubs, the Walla Walla Valley.
(photo: Walla Walla is known as Washington's wine capital. But as the economy has faltered, Eastern Washington winemakers are heading West and opening tasting rooms far from the vineyard.)
WALLA, WALLA, WA - Walla Walla is known as Washington's wine capital. But as the economy has faltered, a trend is emerging. Eastern Washington winemakers are heading West over the Cascades. They're opening tasting rooms in Woodinville wine country, near Seattle, to be closer to their customers. This week, as winemakers process their latest grape harvest, we're looking at how the wine industry is adjusting to the new economy.
September 3, 2008 Weather for grape growers and for the rest of us will probably warm up through Friday. Saturday, a weak storm system might douse northeast Washington and Idaho. Next week it’s supposed to cool down again.
In the Northwest and British Columbia, wine grape growers are slashing fruit off the vines. They are hoping that cutting down some of the bunches will sweeten-up the remaining grapes quicker. Ingo Grady is with Mission Hills Winery in Okanagan Valley. He has just a month and a half to harvest Cabernet, Syrah and Cab Franc grapes before the cold weather hits.
GRADY: So that doesn’t give us a lot of time. It will be going from a nice sort of easy going beaches and peaches mentality to fire drills for the next six weeks.
A late and small harvest means less money for growers, but it could be good news for connoisseurs. Paul Champoux grows Columbia Valley grapes for some of the Northwest’s top labels. He thinks ’08 could turn into a superb vintage, maybe even like the fabled ’99.
CHAMPOUX: It will be interesting to see what this vintage turns out because of the Mother Nature we got this year. I think the grapes are tasting real well already you know.
Still, Washington winemakers say they are most worried about ripening up their Cabernet. That’s one of the last varieties to be picked. Oregon grape growers are hoping for a dry fall that won’t rot their pinot noir.
August 14, 2007
SALEM/The wine industry in Washington and California is supported by research programs at major universities. Now, Oregon growers are on track to get the same.
Image taken by
Jen Bebensee.
Chris Lehman reports.
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