09/18/06 Email

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and today we are answering questions from the email. Recently a listener wrote to ask "what is the vintage like this year in Washington?" To answer the question of what will this year's harvest be like in Washington state I went to the website of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers and I was sorely disappointed, so I called a few friends who grow grapes. Here is what we know so far. We had a nice warm slightly wet spring, which left everyone more than optimistic about the vintage. Summer was warm and dry and its consistency contributed to balanced canopies and nice small berries. Everyone seems to be very excited about the quality and potential for this year's crop. The harvest has been underway for a few weeks now and it is going very well. In all likelihood, the bulk of it will be completed by mid-October. The continued cool evenings ending this summer have been what was required to maintain the precise sugar levels, or brix, that winemakers are after. The Sauvignon Blanc, which was among the first grapes to be harvested, were tasty and if they are handled well are bound to produce some stellar wines. All in all, both red and white grapes, it is looking like you should be ecstatic if you bought any 2006 wine futures . Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at Vine to Wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.