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88 WINES&VINES January 2016 VINTAGE 2015 Logistics of the winery dictated harvest timing. The advanced rip- ening resulting from the early and warm season led to compressed harvest across different varieties and regions. WASHINGTON 2015 appears to have brought an- other large harvest for the state despite a destructive wildfire sea- son tied to dry conditions. By mid- August, when harvest had begun in earnest throughout Washington, fires had scorched more than 925,000 acres. A fire in the Lake Chelan AVA spread to more than 90,000 acres and destroyed Ven- timiglia Cellars. The fires spared the rest of the region, and harvest proceeded under blue skies for the rest of August. Despite the early start and wild- fires, Washington grapegrowers are confident the state could see a haul larger than the previous re- cord of 227,000 tons set in 2014. The increase in tonnage has put some stress on winery tank capac- ity, especially during the most recent vintage, in which several varieties ripened around the same time. Bud break arrived in Washington state seven to 10 days ahead of schedule. If yields were normal or higher, which of the following had the most effect? YIELD INCREASE REASON Weather Better vineyard management Not applicable WASHINGTON STATE WINE COMMISSION ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° For Oregon, we knew the harvest was going to be early, so thoughtful con- sideration was given to crop load. We cropped mature vines 15%-20% heavier than 2014, for example, in an effort to slow ripening and decrease rapid sugar accumulation. Bruce Sonnen, Vineyard manager Van Duzer, Dallas, Ore. NORTHWEST 415 293 5700 | BARARCH.COM W I N E R I E S C L U B H O U S E S R E S O R T S C U S T O M H O M E S L A W W I N E R Y P A S O R O B L E S , C A