08/29/06 Wine Grape Harvest

Vine Grapes. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Yesterday we talked about why the northwest has become such a good wine grape growing area. Paul Champoux is the chairman of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers says it because of our long sunny days and cool nights. He is also very optimistic about this year's crop. CHAMPOUX: I think everything looks real good. Just to put everything into perspective, we harvested maybe 120 thousand tons. I think California does 3.25 million tons so you can see we're just a drop in the bucket. But our drop in the bucket is making its way because of the high quality we have here in Washington, it's making its mark. Several vineyards have started harvesting. CHAMPOUX: So we're right on the verge of getting real busy. And the quality looks real good, the tonnages, the growers association guestimation I think it was about 120 thousand ton which is about the biggest harvest we have had. I think 118 is the biggest. It just depends on what Mother Nature deals out in the next couple of weeks also. According to Champoux vineyards adjust the harvesting by thinning according to the variety and quality of the wines to be made. CHAMPOUX: So that's why the 120 thousand ton guestimate we may on harvest 115 thousand ton because of people having to go out and do some thinning. It depends on the winery, what they want for tonnage for specific varieties. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.