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October 2016 WINES&VINES 17 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS E ugene, Ore.—A sudden drop in temperatures around Labor Day weekend meant fall was taking hold in much of the Northwest as growers harvested the 2016 wine grape crop. July broke the 14-month series of record-setting temperatures both domestically as well as glob- ally, but early fears of late-season drought conditions were damp- ened by precipitation ranging be- tween 90% and 150% of normal rainfall from southern Oregon to the northern Rockies. "We saw some stress by the end of last year, whereas this year the canopies are a lot more lush and green," said Ray Nuclo, director of viticulture at the dry-farmed King Estate Winery south of Eugene, Ore. "It was a lot less stressful of a year, just due to soil moisture." The tally of growing degree-days at locations around Oregon under- scored the moist, cool conditions. The 2016 tally through the end of August for McMinnville (Willamette Valley) stood at 2,059 versus 2,187 in 2015. A similar spread was logged in southern Oregon, with growing degree-days in Medford totalling 98 less than last year. The most dramatic spread was seen in Milton-Freewater, Ore., with a dif- ference of nearly 500 units. Conditions in the region also were favorable to growers north of the state line, who steadily brought in fruit under cooler con- ditions in early September. "We are about 100 tons in so far," reported Marty Clubb, wine- maker at L'Ecole No. 41 in Lowden, Wash., just east of Walla Walla. The cooler weather has been excellent for the grapes, because it's allowed other components to come into balance with sugars. "Color, acid, pH and balance looks really good so far," Clubb said. "Berry size is larger than nor- mal (due to a cooler than normal July), so cluster weights are up." This translates into a prospect of greater yields, and what could be Washington's largest harvest on record. Clubb anticipates that there might even be fruit left to spare. While storms swept through many parts of British Columbia's interior this summer, delivering precipitation and cooler weather across the region, the vineyards surrounding Black Hills Estate Winery south of Oliver were poised to deliver an abundant harvest of top-quality fruit this season. Winemaker Graham Pierce of Black Hills Estate Winery in Oliver, B.C., received Semillon grapes in August, while Brix and acid levels in Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are all coming into bal- ance. Pierce believed the fruit would benefit from a warm, tem- perate period of hang time. —Peter Mitham Cooler Weather Promises Photo Finish for Northwest Harvest Clusters of Pinot Gris near maturity as harvest approaches at King Estate Winery in Oregon.