10/03/08 Grape Harvest Continues

Grape Harvest Continues. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Vicky Scharlau with the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers has been keeping an eye on the grape harvest and has been getting some reaction back from some of the growers. SCHARLAU: We started getting comments about a week ago or so and one of our favorites to-date is from a grower from the Wahluke Slopes area saying, "Well the harvest is above average as usual." (Laughs) Other than that we have some very cryptic notes, you know, "Quality is great." But mostly I think the comments from around the state really have focused on flavor concentration and the varieties and it seems to be expressing itself in the lower brix levels. Brix is a sugar to water ratio in grapes and according to Scharlau it could result in some spectacular wines. SCHARLAU: It could result in the need for less hang time which is good in lower alcohol wines and that's a very positive thing but people and the especially the growers on the winery side are starting to compare this vintage to 1999 which was a very good year. So far it is too soon to tell what the tonnage will be this year. SCHARLAU: Most comments have been that they're right on or in some areas a little above estimate, some areas a little below estimate. It depends on whether it's a cool or warm site so it's a little early to tell yet. We probably won't have actual numbers until early November but I think overall whether it's a red wine or white wine the growers and the wineries seem to be very pleased with the quality and the aromatics and just the flavor components of the wines this year. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.