Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/155925
NORTHWESTSULLIVAN WATCH SEAN P. ington in the late 1970s to work for Chateau Ste. Michelle. He said of Yakima Valley's early days, "It was basically trial and error. You were dealing with growers who had little if any experience with wine grapes, certainly not much with premium wine grapes. There was a very steep learning curve." Many techniques used today, from drip irrigation to canopy management, were unheard of at the time. "Every single little thing that is just taken for granted today as common knowledge was a new learning experience in those days," Sauer said. "There were no other patterns to look at." Yakima Valley grapegrower Dick Boushey admits he didn't have much experience with viticulture when he planted his first vineyards in 1980. With many of Yakima's early plantings in richer soils where growers had other crops, quality often suffered. Dick Boushey, who planted the first of his eponymous vineyards in 1980, said: "There was not much to be proud of in the beginning. We planted grapes all over the valley floor, in all the wrong places. They were planted in deep soils, over-irrigated, and overfertilized. The sugar levels were low and mildew was rampant. We just didn't have a lot of experience with viticulture." For many, the learning curve proved too steep. "There were a lot of sad stories," Boushey recalled of the early days. "A lot of people got frustrated and just pulled out of the wine business. The people who hung on, they learned the hard way, and the rest of the state learned from our mistakes." FROM ANONYMITY TO SPECIFICITY Despite this difficult start, in many respects, Yakima Valley has been wildly successful as a growing region. The valley is very much the engine of the Washington wine industry. More than 16,000 of 26 V I N E YARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT | Sept - Oct 2013 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m