The Fruit Growers News - September 2002

Although apples and other fruits like sweet cherries and pears come to mind when thinking about Washington agriculture, some may be surprised to learn that wine grapes are coming on strong and winning awards.

According to Wine Enthusiast Magazine, one of the nation’s leading publications on wine appreciation, Washington state has every reason to be proud of its grapes. It was awarded and honored as the “Wine Region of the Year” as part of the magazine’s 2001 annual wine awards held in New York City.

Washington is the second wine region to receive this award and the first American region - Australia won the honors the previous year. Wine Enthusiast’s editorial board recognized Washington’s rise in producing world-class wines in just 20 years, a short time in the world of wine.

“Washington is a unique, high-quality wine producing region that delivers the goods where it counts – in the bottle,” said Paul Gregutt, contributing editor for the magazine. “The best Washington wines have a style and flavor profile intrinsic to the region, which sets it apart from the rest of the world.”

Vine facts
Washington produces more than 15 wine grape varieties – 57% red and 43% white. Leading red wines include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. White varieties include Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvigonon Blanc, Semillon and Viognier.

Over 300 grape growers and 170 wineries are involved in the industry throughout the state, including the five major American Viticultural Areas (AVA) as recognized and defined by the U.S. Treasury Department: Yakima Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Columbia Valley, Puget Sound and Red Mountain. An AVA has unique climate, soil and physical features which distinguish it from surrounding areas.

Other sections of Washington also produce wine: Northeast, Spokane area, Southwest and Columbia Gorge.

The amount of acreage in the state has grown along with the industry that began its humble beginnings in the mid-1970s: there are now 29,000 acres planted with vines. California leads the nation in acreage and production, followed by Washington, New York and Oregon.

Grapes appreciate the same growing conditions that other fruits enjoy in Washington: rich, fertile soil, innovative irrigation systems, warm, sunny days (an average of 17 hours of summer sunlight) and cool nights. It’s the perfect combination that helps boost record yields - 100,000 tons of wine grapes were harvested in 2001 with 118,000 tons estimated for 2002.

This computes to 5.3 million cases of wine in 2001 with a $628.4 million retail value. Over 11,250 full-time equivalent wine-related jobs generated $350.2 million in wages, adding to the $2.4 billion that impacted the state’s economy in just one year.

A new sprout
There’s a new kid on the block within the Columbia Valley AVA with great vision and enthusiasm, the Columbia Cascade Winery Association. “We’re definitely a fledging group of folks, but we’ve determined and excited about growing grapes and producing wines in the region.” says Cameron Fries, president of the association and owner of White Heron Winery in Quincy.

Fifteen wineries are located in the Columbia Cascade area including the towns of Leavenworth, Peshastin, Dryden, Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Lake Chelan, Rock Island, Quincy, Manson, and all the way north to Oroville.

The group has been meeting for over a year, and put out a brochure and organized their first event, the Leavenworth Wine Festival held in July at Smallwoods Harvest. This was a joint venture with the Cascade Foothills Farmland Association.

Recently, wineries from the area and other parts of the state came for the day to share information and samplings of their wines. The event included entertainment, great food and lots of fun for the entire family. Smallwoods Harvest, owned by Mike and Lynn Smallwood, is a small farm with a country store, picnic area, petting zoo, playground and corn maize.

“We’re all small operations.” says Charlie McKee, owner of Wedge Mountain Winery and River Bend Orchards in Peshastin.

“Working together is definitely the way, both on a local level and with the state associations like the Washington Wine Commission and the State Department of Agriculture’s ‘From the Heart of Washington’ program that’s committed to promoting Washington specialty crops,” said Mckee.

“We want people to know more about all our agricultural products and activities, and wine grapes are a big part of the picture.”
Two of McKee’s special treats delighted the crowd at the festival, including Montmorency Magic, an after dinner drink made with the Montmorency tart cherry. Cherries from his orchard were a big hit, and his sweet dessert wine, “Royal Amber,” made with Royal Anne cherries also won rave reviews.