Good Fruit Grower

February 2013

Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/105709

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 16 of 55

PHOTOS BY GERAlDINE WARNER Spanish Castle Vineyard looks like a sea of milk cartons and grapevines. The 180-acre vineyard is located along Highway 28 near Rock Island Dam and was planted last spring by Jerry and Ryan Flanagan. "Washington State has a great future when it comes to wine," Warner said, ticking off the positives: abundant land, strong demand for wine that has in turn strengthened grower returns, entry of the world's largest wine family (Gallo) to the state, and a new American Viticultural Area called Ancient Lakes that will encourage more planting in that region. "We're gaining national and international recognition for our premium quality wines," he said. "We've really got a bright future." 30 varieties "Is the 190,000 tons an anomaly from good weather in the fall, or is it the new baseline normal?" In talking to wine industry members about the future, Warner says that both growers and wineries expressed every intention to continue to expand to meet the demand for Washington wine. "From the grower's perspective, one of the biggest challenges is what varietal to plant that will be in demand four years from when it's planted," he said. "There isn't just one variety for the state—we produce 30 different varieties. We do everything so well." Washington is nationally recognized for its premium Cabernet Sauvignon, produces some of the best Merlot in the country, and Riesling is its leading variety, Warner said. "We're scoring well on so many Bordeaux varieties, and more than half of the state's acreage is planted to red varieties." "It's hard to find a variety that doesn't do well here," he said. The state is such a relatively young wine region that growers are still discovering which variety does best where, and even identifying microclimates within a vineyard. "In the next decade or so, we'll really be rocking as we continue to dial down the best locations, fine-tune irrigation regimes, reap the benefits from the soon-to-be-built Wine Science Center by Washington State University, and improve overall knowledge of how to grow premium grapes in the industry." Warner said that this time, growth is measured and not the frenzied planting and expansion that happened 15 years ago. "Our base continues to grow, and we could easily surpass the commission's five-year projections when we get to 2017." —Steve Warner • www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER FEBRUARY 1, 2013 17

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Good Fruit Grower - February 2013