(Registerguard) - Talk to some Oregon winemakers and you’ll probably find them basking in the warm memories of 2015.

Sunny, dry weather for much of the year contributed to a bountiful grape harvest in the southern Willamette Valley and throughout Oregon, winery owners said.

In the harvest that ended in October, some vineyards produced record or near record amounts of wine grapes, including pinot noir and pinot gris.

The plentiful harvest — coupled with exceptional yields in 2014 — will benefit individual wineries and enhance the reputation of Oregon’s growing wine industry, wine experts said.

“This just really cements the Willamette Valley’s reputation for being a world-class pinot noir producer,” said Jim McGavin, co-owner of Walnut Ridge Vineyard west of Junction City. “People from around the world know about our pinot noirs. As we have more of these terrific vintages, the more quality wine extends further afield and the awareness of who we are gets bigger and better.”

The recent harvest followed last year’s grape-friendly weather and a dramatic increase for Oregon grape production compared to 2013. Oregon is the third largest wine producer in the nation, behind California and Washington.

At King Estate, Oregon’s largest wine producer, this year’s harvest produced 1,602 tons of grapes, second only to the record 1,671-ton yield in 2014.

Ideal grape-growing weather played a role in the increased production, but so did the maturation of vines planted in previous years.

“Some of the younger blocks, or plots, of vines have matured and are now yielding grapes,” said Raymond Nuclo, King Estate’s viticulture director.

Owner Ed King was effusive about what the harvest means for his business in particular and Oregon’s wine industry in general.