Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Oregon wine: Growers say 2006 may be a year to toast
Monday, October 30, 2006 | No comments posted.
McMINNVILLE (AP) - Oregon wine growers say this year's grape harvest is in and it's one of the best, with the makings of good wine and plenty of it.
The exact figures won't be out until the state does a statistical analysis in November. But early indications show the total wine grape harvest could be 15 to 20 percent above normal.
This is a boon for the Oregon wine industry after two tough years.
“Crop sets were normal, and that dry weather spell did it,” said George Hilberry, co-owner of the Chehalem Mountain Vineyard. “Everything ripened beautifully.”
He said one of the reasons for the larger crop is less aggressive thinning by growers to at least partially offset the previous two years of low yields.
At the 150-acre Temperance Hill Vineyard in the Eola Hills, manager Dai Crisp said high quality and quantity don't normally go hand-in-hand.
“This is a rarity,” he said.
“This year, after the late season rain, it really warmed up and everything ripened at once,” he said. “We went straight through the harvest without stopping, and all the fruit looked great.”
With the bounty come headaches. With fruit coming in so quickly, some wineries lacked tank capacity to accommodate it all at once.
In the Mid-Willamette Valley, winemaker Brian Croft of Firesteed Vineyard, north of Rickreall, said there was very little fruit drop on his 77 acres.
Just south of Eugene, at the 270-acre King Estate of Lorane, Director of Winemaking Bill Kremer estimated the yield at 10 percent above average. And because it all came in at once, he said, the winery was among those caught short of space.
“We had to do some juggling,” he said. “But across the gamut of fruit, the quality is there. This is a banner year. It's a good thing for Oregon.”
To the south, Oregon vineyards normally get higher tonnage than their northern counterparts and they too reported above-average yields.
“It's one of those years,” said Scott Henry of Henry Estate, near Roseburg. “We saw a big harvest, as it was a little warmer and a little dryer than usual.”
He said, “The numbers look good and the flavors are good. I think everyone is going to do well.”
The exact figures won't be out until the state does a statistical analysis in November. But early indications show the total wine grape harvest could be 15 to 20 percent above normal.
This is a boon for the Oregon wine industry after two tough years.
“Crop sets were normal, and that dry weather spell did it,” said George Hilberry, co-owner of the Chehalem Mountain Vineyard. “Everything ripened beautifully.”
He said one of the reasons for the larger crop is less aggressive thinning by growers to at least partially offset the previous two years of low yields.
At the 150-acre Temperance Hill Vineyard in the Eola Hills, manager Dai Crisp said high quality and quantity don't normally go hand-in-hand.
“This is a rarity,” he said.
“This year, after the late season rain, it really warmed up and everything ripened at once,” he said. “We went straight through the harvest without stopping, and all the fruit looked great.”
With the bounty come headaches. With fruit coming in so quickly, some wineries lacked tank capacity to accommodate it all at once.
In the Mid-Willamette Valley, winemaker Brian Croft of Firesteed Vineyard, north of Rickreall, said there was very little fruit drop on his 77 acres.
Just south of Eugene, at the 270-acre King Estate of Lorane, Director of Winemaking Bill Kremer estimated the yield at 10 percent above average. And because it all came in at once, he said, the winery was among those caught short of space.
“We had to do some juggling,” he said. “But across the gamut of fruit, the quality is there. This is a banner year. It's a good thing for Oregon.”
To the south, Oregon vineyards normally get higher tonnage than their northern counterparts and they too reported above-average yields.
“It's one of those years,” said Scott Henry of Henry Estate, near Roseburg. “We saw a big harvest, as it was a little warmer and a little dryer than usual.”
He said, “The numbers look good and the flavors are good. I think everyone is going to do well.”
The comments below are from users of theworldlink.com and do not necessarily represent the views of The World or Lee Enterprises. Participation Guidelines
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Not already registered?
The World welcomes your comments about stories, and we encourage a robust dialogue on this site. All comments must meet reasonable standards of decency and civility.
Please follow these basic rules:
- No defamatory comments about individuals or businesses.
- No deliberately false information.
- No obscenity or racially offensive language.
- No harassment, verbal abuse, threats or personal attacks.
- No information that invades another person's privacy.
- No business solicitations or charitable solicitations.
Comments that violate these standards will not be posted. Users with repeated violations may be banned from future posting.Comments will be approved throughout the day during business hours. After hours and weekend comments may not appear until the following business day. It may take a couple of hours before comments are approved.
The World generally does not edit comments, but we reserve the right to edit any comment that does not meet our standards.
Close Guidelines