2009 Grape Wine Harvest in Idaho

 Idaho's grapes were picked, pressed, and barreled leading to a stellar harvest this year. With the frost coming early, and the grapes picked off the vine, Idaho's 2009 harvest has officially come to an end. Long, hot summer days, and cool, short nights, have given Idaho the ability to once again produce complex grapes, ready to be made into award-winning wine. The sugars remained high, nurtured during the long days by the abundant sunshine, while acids were maintained at favorable levels by comparatively cool evenings.

A wet spring led to a bigger crop-set which required manual cluster thinning. Idaho Wine’s Moya Shatz describes that process: “Throughout the year, especially leading up till harvest, growers will cut some of the clusters away, that way the clusters that are left are stronger.” October finished with moderate temperatures, allowing late ripening varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling to come in with ripe fruit flavors and prime sugar levels.