Washington Wines - On the Map

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

Washington is quickly becoming one of the nation’s premiere wine grape growing regions. Vicky Scharlau, with the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers, says that the focus in Washington state has always been about quality. This came into play when developing educational sessions for next week’s annual meeting and convention of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers being held at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.

SCHARLAU: This year we’re going to be talking everything from managing alcohol in wine, to integrated pest management at a higher level. We’re also going to be getting into managing some of our lesser known varieties - Petite Verdot, Grenache, Malbec, Barbera - some of those that we are, not experimental, but I think we’re figuring out where the best location for them to grow is, and also how best to utilize them in the bottle given the kind of grape that we pull off of our vineyards here.

An in-depth discussion on tannins is planned as well.

SCHARLAU: Tannins not just in the wine, but looking at tannins from the vineyard all the way through the wine making process.

Other topics to be covered include new processing technology, advanced viticulture, and wine etiquette - how to taste wine, talk wine and serve wine like a pro.

SCHARLAU: We have a tasting session that will focus on vintage variation between two very particular years - a cool climate year and a warm climate year, 2011 and 2013. And we’re going to look only at Cabernet Sauvignon in those two vintages.

For more information on the February 10 - 13 event visit wawgg.org.

That’s Washington Ag Today.

I’m Lacy Gray with the Ag Information Network of the West.