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3 0 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | S e p t - O c t 2 015 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m DECADES IN THE MAKING As much as the center is about accelerating research for a growing industry, it is also about providing additional credibility to a still-young industry. "With Washington state being a premiere grapegrowing and winemaking region, we were incomplete without a research facil- ity like this," said Rob McKinney, chairman of the Wine Science Cen- ter Development Authority. "From an industry perspective, we are going to see increased visibility and recognition because of the center. People will come from all over the world to go to school here. It helps put us on the map." "It really signifies that we're serious about being a world-class wine growing region," added War- ner. "We're serious enough to make this big of an investment and level of commitment to viticulture and enology so that we can stand toe-to-toe with the other wine regions of the world." "Our capability to teach and do research is greatly enhanced," Henick-Kling said. "We have the capacity now that we need. We can do research that we just weren't able to do because we didn't have the facilities. It's a huge step." Of course, whether it's mak- ing improvements in the vineyard or the winery, the ultimate goal of the center is to improve wine qual- ity. Baseler said he's confident that will happen. "When you think about these people graduating with a Bachelor of Science or with a master's or a Ph.D coming into our industry, it can only improve the average quality of Washington wine, which is already exceptional," he said. "That's pretty exciting." The opening of the center is a turning point for the industry. "This is a game changer," Waliser said. "We now have the ability to see how what we do in the vineyard leads to changes in wine. We can then make changes in canopy management or cropload or irrigation to push the lim- its and make better wine. It provides a feedback loop, and it gives us one more step of credibility in the world to attract talent." For many long-time industry members such as Waliser, the com- pletion of the center is the realiza- tion of decades of hard work. "It's a dream come true for the indus- try," Waliser said. "It culminates 40 years of growth and investment. Now let's see what we can do in this industry in the next 40 years with that kind of research." Sean P. Sullivan is a contribut- ing editor for Wine Enthusiast and is also the founder of Washington Wine Report, an online publication dedicated to the wines and winer- ies of the Pacific Northwest. Sulli- van also writes regularly for Seattle Metropolitan, Washington Tasting Room, and Edible Seattle. He lives in Seattle, Wash. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com. Research into pests and diseases will also be critical. "We may not have as many pest pressures as some other areas, but we have cru- cial ones that need to be solved," Clubb said. He gave research on pre- venting the spread of leafroll virus as an example. "That's a big issue for us in Cabernet Sauvignon." Equally important is the abil- ity to pivot quickly to currently unknown issues. "We don't know what future calamities might befall our vineyards," said Baseler. "You think about us being on 100% vinifera rootstock. You just never know if there could be something that affects our vineyards. To have Ph.D-level researchers working on solutions to potential future prob- lems is really critical." Waliser said research would take on increased importance as the Washington wine industry contin- ues to expand. "With the amount of money it takes to put in a vineyard or a winery in this day and age, you can't really afford to be wrong," he said. "We also know it's competi- tive in the world and we need to maintain an edge and get better." Ted Baseler, president and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, believes the Wine Science Center's research will play an important role in the Washington wine industry's future success. NEW & USED UNITS AVAILABLE All Major Credit Cards Accepted Toll Free: 866-307-9731 FAX: 281-227-8404 COLD SHOT CHILLERS ® • • Most Machines Shipped in 2 Weeks or Le ss • 5 Year Compressor Warranty • • Live Technical Support 24/7 www.waterchillers.com Low Temperature Glycol Chillers, Up To 150 Tons Single Phase Voltages, Up To 10 Tons • Nationwide Service Network NORTHWEST WATCH SEAN P. SULLIVAN