Cool summer may create acclaimed wine vintage, if harvest succeeds

By DAN WHEAT

Capital Press

CHELAN, Wash. -- Dean and Heather Neff, owners of Nefarious Cellars on the south shore of Lake Chelan, were in a rush with crush to beat the weather.

A cool, overcast morning spoke of coming rain. Pickers picked Malbec and Syrah, carried them out of rows in 5-gallon buckets and dumped them into bins.

Top hand Efrain Rangel ran the tractor hauling bins to the crush pad of the winery overlooking the lake.

"I'm short on bins right now and trying to get it all off before the weather turns Tuesday," Dean Neff said. Rain dilutes the grape sugars and flavor, he explained.

His wife, Heather, stood on a platform some 12 feet high, raking grapes from hoisted bins into the de-stemmer and crusher.

"The whole West Coast has been cold," she said. "The cool summer has caused concern about getting enough sugar in the growing season."

They said they felt fortunate to get 25 brix with their Syrah.

In Seattle, Ryan Pennington, spokesman of the Washington Wine Commission, said winegrape harvest is two to three weeks later than normal.

"Everyone is scrambling right now to get everything in before the cold hits," he said.

Usually, Eastern Washington harvest is done by Halloween or shortly thereafter, but this year, if rain and cold holds off, it may run to mid-November, Pennington said.

He explained the longer ripening season results in strong flavor development at lower sugar levels, generally leading to balanced, complex wine. "A lot of folks are comparing this vintage to 1999, which is one of the most acclaimed vintages Washington has ever had," he said.

But rain is tough to deal with. Growers don't like to pick in it and it increases mold and mildew. Growers have to spray sulfur to absorb moisture and prevent mildew.

As of Oct. 25, the warmest winegrape-growing regions of Washington, Red Mountain near Benton City and the Wahluke slope near Mattawa, were virtually done picking, Pennington said. Cooler areas, notably portions of the Walla Walla Valley, Columbia Gorge and Lake Chelan, were feeling the pressure to get red winegrapes harvested.

"I'm sure in the Columbia Gorge they are worried about reds even reaching ripeness," he said.

Statewide yield may be down, countering concern of oversupply from over planting, he said.

Washington, second only to California in winegrape production, harvested 156,000 tons of winegrapes in 2009. The commission will have some idea of this year's tonnage in December. USDA releases a crop estimate in January.

Sam Tannahill, board chairman and director of viticulture and winemaking for A to Z Wineworks and Rex Hill Vineyards and Winery in Newberg, Ore., said Willamette Valley harvest will conclude about Halloween and is very good to great.

"Fermentation is showing beautiful aromas of red and blue fruits, great color, concentration from low yields and smaller than normal berries and tremendous focus," Tannahill said.

Michael Donavan, managing director of RoxyAnn Winery in Medford, said southern Oregon growers harvested exceptional Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Syrah due to extended hang time. Many growers were waiting final harvest decisions the last week of October on Bordeaux varietals, he said.

"They are hoping for dry, warm days to finish what many believe could be a fantastic vintage," Donavan said.

Washington produces about 10 million to 12 million cases of wine annually, Oregon 2 million, Idaho less and California about 237 million.