11/03/08 Walla Walla Wine

Walla Walla Wine. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. It has been a good year across the state for wine grapes and the Walla Walla area is no exception according to Walla Walla Wine Alliance Executive Director, Elizabeth Martin-Calder. MARTIN-CALDER: Overall what I hear from the vineyard managers is it was a real good year for us. The yields are good, quality; we had a nice balance of weather over the summer. The combination of a little bit cooler spring that turned into some warm summer days and then tapering off in the fall and so we're a little bit later than originally in harvest only by a week or two but it's been a great season for us. Growers and winemakers from all over the state have been talking about the quality. MARTIN-CALDER: That's what we're right now. They are feeling like they've got one of the best years they've seen in a while and the merlot, sauvignon blanc's were just really nice. They had a really great acidity and at the same time a good balance to them. Some of the nicest flavors they're saying they ever tasted. There was some concern about the weather. MARTIN-CALDER: We did have a little bit of freeze and so some people were a little concerned about that but for the most part as I know from talking to the various vineyard managers again, it really didn't create a lot of complications. Thos down toward the south of the valley got hit by a little bit more but for the most part either a lot of the grapes were already in or it really didn't affect the grapes that much. Look for some spectacular wines in the coming year from the Walla Walla Valley. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.