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10 NOVEMBER 2014 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com Michael L. Miller, 1947 – 2014 M ike Miller, 67, known for his infectious grin, had deep roots in Washington's Yakima Valley agri- culture. His grandfather helped to bring irrigation water to land north- east of the Yakima River, and his father was one of the first to plant wine grapes in Yakima Valley in 1968. Miller, who founded Airfield Estates winery, died October 5 at his home after a short battle with cancer. Miller, like his uncle and father, continued the family tradition of attending Washington State University and graduated with an agronomy degree in 1974. After graduating, he returned to Airfield Ranch, the family farm named after the WWII airbase built on the land in 1941. Miller's grandfather had leased out open land for an airbase as a training ground for military pilots. After the war, the unwanted buildings were auctioned off. His grandfather bought the buildings (barracks, water tower, hangers, and such) and used them for storage farm buildings. Miller got into wine grapes in a big way in the late 1970s after sugar beet processing plants in the state closed. The tim- ing coincided with Washington's largest winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle's need for wine grapes, and he ramped up his wine grape acreage. Today, about 900 acres of grapes are planted at Airfield Ranch. In 1995 he was recognized by industry peers for his grape growing abilities and named Erik Hanson Memorial Grower of the Year. Miller founded Airfield Estates winery in 2007 and opened a tasting room that same year in Prosser. A second tasting room was opened in 2010 in Woodinville. The winery is a family affair—son Marcus is winemaker and daughter Lori Stevens is the marketing director. Production at the winery, which uses 100 percent estate grapes, is now around 35,000 cases annually. He is survived by his wife, Kristeen. Guy William "Bill" Powers, 1926 - 2014 W ashington wine industry legend Bill Powers, known for pioneering efforts in organic grape growing and winemaking, died September 23. He was 88. Powers came from drought-stricken Oklahoma to the state's Columbia Basin in 1956 to farm and raise livestock in Othello. After volcanic ash from Mount St. Helens' eruption created havoc with his pastures and cattle, he moved the family to Kennewick and planted wine grapes in 1982 on Badger Mountain. He crushed his first grapes in 1986 for his newly established Badger Mountain Vineyard winery. In 1990, Powers' vineyard became the first in the state to be certified organic. He was also a pioneer in producing organic wines without the addition of sulfites. So ahead of the times, he and son Greg, who became the winemaker in 1990, had to learn by doing—there was no published informa- tion on organic grape production in Washington or organic winemaking techniques. Powers told Good Fruit Grower during an inter- view in 2012 that he could have "written the book on organic grape growing and winemaking practices." (See "Finding a better way" in our online archives at www.goodfruit.com) Powers embraced sustainable farming and envi- ronmentally friendly practices. He installed a solar array, one of the largest in eastern Washington's wine industry, to power the winery, turned cooking oil from restaurants into biodiesel to fuel tractors, and used lightweight glass for wine bottles. He designed a pest fan, constructed with screen mesh, to blow and catch grape leafhoppers and cutworms from the vines. Badger Mountain Vineyard winery produced 1,500 cases its first year. A second winery, Powers Winery, was added in 1990 to make high-end wines from conventionally grown grapes. Today, Badger Mountain, which makes only organic and no-sulfite-added wines, and Powers Winery produce about 70,000 cases annually. Organic wines make up about two-thirds of the total wine production. In 2007, Powers was recognized by the industry for his pioneering organic work and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers. He was inducted into the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center Legends of Wine Hall of Fame in 2010. Powers is survived by his wife, Barbara, son, Greg, and daughter-in-law, JoAnn, and daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband, Brian Cito. www.davewilson.com 800-654-5854 H ot Ne w Va rieties for 2 0 1 5 ! Fall Fiesta Pluot ® Ebony Rose Pluot ® Honeylicious Nectarine Sunset Delight Pluot ® Leah-Cot Aprium ® Summer Gold Peach