Wood smoke is dispersed into canopy covered wine grapes for 36 hours in order to measure how wildfire smoke affects grapes and wine flavors in Prosser, Washington June 2021. (Photo […]Read More
Listen (Runtime 1:11) Read Ellie Zeron Martinez is owner and winemaker of Zeron Vineyards near Benton City. She predicts 2022 will be a good year for wine. Grapes have benefitted […]Read More
Checking Vineyard Soil Moisture Now Can Save Grapes LaterRead More
Dick Boushey had a problem. When the COVID-19 pandemic dried up business for wineries and tasting rooms, the Yakima Valley grower anticipated his crop of wine grapes withering on the […]Read More
Even if a wildfire doesn’t burn a vineyard, smoke can get into grapes. Smoke taint tastes like a small bit of ashtray, creosote post or burnt tires — so it’s not desirable in your pinot or merlot. Read More
To qualify as an AVA, a wine grape-growing region must set itself apart with climate, soil, elevation and physical features. A new one doesn’t come around very often. The Royal Slope AVA is just over 156,000 acres, and is north of the Tri-Cities. Read More
Across the Northwest, there are too many wine grapes and not enough demand. It started with an overly optimistic industry planting too much. Then came the coronavirus pandemic. Now, vineyard managers and wineries are being forced to think creatively to cope with 2020’s bumper crop. Read More
East of the Cascades in Washington and Oregon -- it’s been about 5 to 10 degrees warmer than normal for most of the winter. And those usually warm conditions have buds on fruit trees and grapevines starting to “push,” or emerge early. That has farmers worried. Read More
