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2015 Vintage Report : Oregon Scores A Vintage For The History Books
In Oregon, both 2014 and 2015 were essentially dry-harvest vintages. In 2015, the earliest on record for many wineries, rainstorms rolled through at the end of August, moistened the parched, drought-hit soils, and refreshed the vines well before they neared ripeness. September was among the coolest on record. Vintners could pick at whatever they considered to be optimum ripeness. By Oct. 4, the wineries were done picking. Continue »
Feb 1, 2017 at 6:02 PM
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2016 Vintage Report: Oregon Has Yet Another Banner Year
A warm—but not hot—growing season has produced the third straight year of potentially outstanding wines. Oregon vintners usually spend their harvest time looking at rain clouds gathering in the sky, threatening to disrupt their picking. Not this year. Winemakers across the Willamette Valley are feeling relaxed and happy. By the first week of October, many had already finished picking. Continue »
Feb 1, 2017 at 5:50 PM
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2015 Vintage Report: Idaho Harvest Falls 50 Percent From 2014 Highs
Idaho grape growers celebrated the close of a tumultuous harvest season. Grape crop yields were drastically less than those of 2014. Many growers attribute this to a precipitous decline in average temperatures during November of 2014, in which hard freezes severely restricted future crop potential crop for 2015. Continue »
Feb 1, 2017 at 4:21 PM
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2016 Vintage Report: Idaho Recovers From Negligible 2015 Harvest
The 2016 Idaho wine grape crop is rebounding after a negligible harvest in 2015. A November 2014 freeze sharply reduced the amount of wine grapes available for the 2015 vintage. A tremendous amount of work went in to reconstituting vineyards damaged from the Fall freeze. As a result, growers and vintners experienced 50-100% increases in crop yields in 2016 over those of 2015. Continue »
Feb 1, 2017 at 3:51 PM
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2016 Vintage Report: Oregon Has Wine Harvest Trifecta
A warm—but not hot—growing season has produced the third straight year of potentially outstanding wines. Oregon vintners usually spend their harvest time looking at rain clouds gathering in the sky, threatening to disrupt their picking. Not this year. Winemakers across the Willamette Valley are feeling relaxed and happy. By the first week of October, many had already finished picking. Most of their wines were already in barrel, having completed fermentations weeks before. Continue »
Feb 1, 2017 at 3:26 PM
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2016 Vintage Report: Washington's Record-Breaking Haul
After a warm spring and early summer, steady weather prevailed, producing promising quality. Washington vintners are calling 2016 the longest harvest they can remember. The extended season allowed their grapes to ripen slowly, with early reports indicating a good vintage, especially for the state's Cabernet Sauvignon. Continue »
Feb 1, 2017 at 3:10 PM
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2013 Vintage Report: Washington And Oregon In Review
Harvest. For winemakers, no other word is loaded with so much potential and anticipation. After a long growing season of endless work in the vineyards, it's time to see what nature delivered. On the West Coast in 2013, most vintners are reporting a great year, a twin to the promising 2012...American winegrowers in the Pacific Northwest are reporting a long, pleasant growing season. The only dim spot was Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where late rains threatened the Pinot Noir. As for final quality in the bottle, it's too early to know, but here's a sneak peek... Continue »
Feb 1, 2017 at 10:32 AM
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2014 Vintage Report: Washington and Oregon in Review
In the second of five 2014 vintage reports, American vintners report good harvests on both the East Coast and the Pacific Northwest. In Washington and Oregon, sunshine was abundant and harvest came early. In Virginia and New York state, winter was brutal, but most vines survived and produced good fruit. Continue »
Feb 1, 2017 at 6:54 AM
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