Auction of Washington Wines Donation

Auction of Washington Wines Donation. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Thanks to the recent Auction of Washington Wines, viticulture and enology research at Washington State University will get a substantial influx of cash. The Ag Networks, KayDee Gilkey has more.

GILKEY: The 28th annual Auction of Washington Wines, a fundraising weekend in August that includes winemaker dinners, picnic and barrel auction, and a wine gala, took in a record breaking $2.5 million of which a $200-thousand dollar donation will go to WSU for research. The research program’s overall goal is to improve wine quality. Research for WSU’s wine industry has taken new significance with the opening of WSU’s Wine Science Center at its Tri-Cities campus in Richland. The state’s grape growers and winery owners played a major role in bringing the $23-million facility to fruition by taxing themselves as part of industry assessments paid to Washington State Wine. Dr. Thomas Henick-Kling, director of Washington State University’s Viticulture and Enology Program said the additional dollars provide the opportunity for long-term research planning and help support extension-type research.

Thanks KayDee. According to Washington State Wine Commission president, Steve Warner the donation represents a significant portion of funds that are annually spent on research projects and will allow funding of additional projects.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.