The past week in eastern Washington was notable for seeing limited amounts of rain – the first in several months. For most, this was a relief, cutting down on dust and clearing the air. Few growers or winemakers expected the rain to have any effect on harvest. Other than that, things are beginning to wind Read more...

A change in weather patterns this past week cleared out much of the smoke that had been hanging over eastern Washington. Still, smoke does persist in some areas. Several winemakers noted that ripening slowed down this past week, with some wondering whether the haze from the smoke contributed in some way. “Last week slowed significantly Read more...

Two stories dominate this week’s harvest report. The first is the continuation of near perfect weather for harvest across eastern Washington. The second is the potential threat of smoke from a number of large wildfires. Let’s start there. Due to the long, warm dry spell this season, a series of large wildfires are burning in Read more...

Over the coming weeks, I will provide periodic updates on what is picked, where, and when as well as thoughts on the growing season from the state’s growers and winemakers. Read previous updates here.9/14 Update: Across Washington this past week, growers and winemakers saw near perfect conditions with warm days and cool – even cold Read more...

Harvest Report September 18th The past week has seen some remarkably unsettled weather in eastern Washington, from record high temperatures to dust storms, rain, and hail. While, thus far, the damage to Washington’s grape harvest appears to be minimal, it has caused anxiety and, in some cases, heartbreak. Read more…

This has been the week of the wind machine in Washington with a series of cold nights from last Tuesday through Sunday. Temperatures in some of the cooler areas of the Walla Walla and Yakima valleys dipped into the low 30s and even high 20s in some locations. While some did report frost issues, many Read more...