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18 WINES&VINES August 2015 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS P rosser, Wash.—Just six months ago, growers in Washington state were dis- cussing vintage variation with respect to cool years. Last month, with wildfires ripping through tinder-dry swaths of Eastern Wash- ington and growing degree-days outpacing the long-term average, growers were wondering how grapes will fare post-véraison. As of July 13, Washington State University-Prosser was reporting 1,636 growing degree-days (com- pared to an average of 1,056). WSU-Tri Cities reported 1,990 growing degree-days compared to an average of 1,314. The phenomenon was spurred not only by an unusually warm, dry winter that saw some growers sending pruning crews into vine- yards in early February, but blasts of temperatures above 100° F in early June and again in early July. At Sagemoor Vineyards, vine- yard manager Derek Way said the season's variable weather has im- pacted fruit set. Wet weather in May delivered a season's worth of rain to some areas in the course of a day, wash- ing away drought concerns while driving canopy growth. But the blast of heat that fol- lowed two weeks later put the canopy in competition with blos- soms, contributing to shatter in some blocks. While new plantings and low pest and disease pressure mean the state remains on track for another record harvest, the extreme weather vineyard managers are fac- ing is keeping them on their toes. —Peter Mitham H ood River, Ore.—An early start to the wine grape growing season has primed pest populations to pose a bigger threat to Northwest grapevines than ever before. Trapping indi- cates that the region's two newest pests— spotted wing dro- sophila and brown marmorated stink bug—are both enjoy- ing population booms in a year when spring followed winter in less time than it took to say "hibernation." On June 30, the Oregon Wine Re- search Institute distributed a re- port citing "very high" numbers of spotted wing drosophila (SWD) in Southern Oregon, with pressure also felt in the Umpqua Valley and the Columbia Gorge. Researchers also reported SWD in traps as early as May 4 in British Columbia, with numbers more than a hundredfold that recorded in previous years. Oregon scientists have also been fielding reports of stinkbugs, suggest- ing that momentum was building for a banner year for the insects. "Everything's track- ing about two weeks earlier," Steve Castag- noli, the institute's extension horticultur- ist in the Columbia Gorge, told Wines & Vines. SWD has proven quite flexible when it comes to host species. The bug typically starts in soft fruits or cherries, but wine grapes fit into the mix, too— in short, anything that provides nourishment. —Peter Mitham Northwest Grapegrowers Report Hot, Dry Conditions Pest Population Pressures Vineyards in Oregon Brown marmorated stink bug www.flextankusa.com 877 407 3348 sales@flextankusa.com Proudly designed and manufactured in the USA. Tanks are manufactured in and ship from Vancouver WA 98682 by ® in tribute to the great houses of French design A clamp seal at the "equator" means: • Demounted vessel halves nest for transport and dry storage. • Ease of use for oak alternatives-put them in the bottom half and assemble vessel. • Convenient racking-remove wine to below the clamp; release clamp and resume racking with excellent visibility. • Easy cleaning. Operate like a barrel with no need for expensive hardware. Add new technology and talking points to your tasting room. American engineering with modern technology and Real World functionality Visit our website and get the full GEMINI story, specs and prices. I N T R O D U C I N G 120 gallons dual-access ports and caps