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18 W i n e s & V i n e s A P R i L 2 0 1 4 P rosser, Wash.—The numbers are in, and Washington state can now officially boast of what many predicted as grapes tumbled into the presses last fall: a record harvest, tipping the scales at 210,000 tons. According to the preliminary Washington Wine Grape Release published in early March by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Cabernet Sauvignon made a robust showing, posting 42,600 tons—ahead of Chardonnay and Riesling, at 40,500 and 40,200 tons, respectively. Together with Merlot (36,000 tons) and Syrah (15,300 tons), the top five varieties accounted for 83.1% of the 2013 harvest. Yet the industry is faced with the challenge of handling what many expect to be even greater tonnage in years to come. Cabernet Sauvignon's lead has led some to believe that Washing- ton state has finally found a variety of its own. Plantings of the grape helped boost production 18.7% in 2013 as the harvest rose by 6,700 tons—the greatest tonnage gain of any variety in the state. Canvasback, the new Duckhorn venture on Red Mountain, will be using the property it purchased in December 2013 for Cabernet Sauvignon, and British Columbia's Aquilini Group is also widely expected to use a portion of its 670 acres for Cabernet Sauvignon. Zirkle Wine Co. in Prosser, whose primary contracts are for Cha- teau Ste. Michelle and Hogue Cellars, has acreage for expansion but is biding its time. Its original facility was built in 2012 with a vision for processing 4 million gallons of wine. Its capacity is currently at 2.4 million gallons, or about 12,500 tons of grapes. "The master site plan would allow us to be at least twice the size we are currently," Dave Copeland, operations manager for Zirkle, told Wines & Vines. But as for proceeding with an expansion, Copeland said Zirkle is pacing its own growth with that of Chateau Ste. Michelle, which he expects will become a larger client and edge out Hogue Cellars. "We look good at the capacity we're at," Copeland said. "The next two to three years, we're trying to get a better feel for what might be beyond that and what the opportunities might be for us." —Peter Mitham Record Harvest for Washington Production capacity concerns arise 2013 Washington Grape Harvest and Price per Ton Tons Crushed (1,000) 0 10 20 30 40 50 Cabernet Sauvignon Riesling $1,440 $1,337 $1,312 $796 $783 $784 Chardonnay $916 $904 $803 2013 2012 2011 A P R I L N E W S