While 2014 has been another warm year in Washington, many grape growers in particular are quite pleased with the results.

“From a growers perspective, everything went right,” said Kent Waliser of Sagemoor Vineyards. “Consider, except for a few isolated exceptions, we had no fall freeze last year, no winter damage, no frost damage, no real disease pressure, warm steady growing weather, good fruit set, generally resulting in larger berries which has resulted in tonnages higher than estimated.” Waliser noted that this was a considerable difference from the previous four years.

“Close to ideal vintage!” said Russ Smithyman, Director of Viticulture at Ste Michelle Wine Estates, of the growing season. “A very warm year – progressing to be one of the warmest on record. However, no dramatic heat events, unlike last year.”

“We’re very happy with the quality to date,” said Doug Gore, Executive Vice President of Ste Michelle Wine Estates. “And we have no reason to think it’s not going to continue. There was a concern with the heat that we weren’t going to get the flavors that you get with longer hang time, but I haven’t heard one winemaker complain about fruit getting sweet without flavor. And if people were concerned, I would be hearing about it.”

At Red Willow Vineyard in the Yakima Valley, the warm growing season led to an early end to harvest. “By far the earliest that we’ve ever finished things up,” said Mike Sauer, who finished picking at the beginning of October.

As of September 30^th, Red Willow had accumulated 3,149 heat units – a high number for a traditionally moderate site. “The heat was just unrelenting!” Sauer said. “I would estimate that by the end of the season, for our site, this will be a warmer year than last year even.”

Sauer said that the warm growing season compressed harvest significantly. “It was a hectic, hectic harvest,” he said. “Once we got into it, it was just pick as fast as we can.” For Sauer, last week’s rainfall, close to half an inch at Red Willow, was a relief.  “All it did was wash the fruit and settle the dust,” he said. “It was welcome.”

The dilemma this year for winemakers has been how to deal with higher sugars. “Extremely high,” Sauer said of the Brix levels, particularly for the early ripening varieties. “Syrah and Merlot, the sugars shot up so quickly,” he said. “Some winemakers wanted to wait for all the signs of physiological ripening. By then you’re dealing with some really high sugars.”

The warm temperatures also removed some of the natural spacing between pick dates. “There was a real compression of the varieties,” Sauer said. “For us, we started with Syrah, which typically Merlot is leading the way. Then Merlot came. Usually there is a separation of the early varieties and winemakers have some time to turn over their fermenters before you get into your Cabs and Cab Francs. This year the Cabernets were right behind them.”

Despite the warmth of the year and the frenetic pace, Sauer thinks that winemakers and consumers will be pleased with the results. “I tend to think that this vintage is really going to be considered a pretty darn good one,” he said. “But I don’t think many winemakers have had time to catch their breath or even think about how good things are.”

Picture of Sagemoor Vineyard Merlot pressing courtesy of Walla Walla Vintners (Follow on Facebook).

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See information on the Washington State Growing Degree Days here.

See monthly forecast for Yakima Valley (Sunnyside), Red Mountain (Benton City), Walla Walla, Paterson, and Mattawa.

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The information in the table below is aggregated from personal correspondence with growers and winemakers, as well as information posted on Twitter and Facebook. It is not intended to be comprehensive but rather is intended as a snapshot of what is going on around the state. If you wish to send data for your grapes or vineyards (or correct any of the information below), please email me at [email protected], leave a comment here, or leave a comment on the WWR Facebook page.