Wine Remains Strong & Changes In What We Eat

Wine Remains Strong & Changes In What We Eat. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

I follow a fairly strict diet program and have for years. Now the government has once again revamped their recommended dietary guidelines. One of the key criticisms of previous guidelines was that the government didn't follow the science and according to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell this report did.

BURWELL: The 2015 guidelines reflect the latest research and rigorous science. They're based on the review of numerous scientific papers and years of research, expert advice from HHS and the Department of Agriculture and input from the public.

The new guidelines suggest eating a "variety" of "nutrient-dense" foods, including fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils and grains, low-fat dairy and lean meats, along with limiting saturated fats, added sugar and sodium.

Wine continues to be strong here in the northwest with Washington State leading the charge. Recent estimates from the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers show growers harvested 233,288 tons on 53,353 acres in 2015. Not only are acreage and production increasing, so are prices. The big gun in wine, California has seen a decline mainly due to drought.

That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.