(Tri-cityherald) - Winemaking is art and science. Thanks to research supported by Washington State’s wine industry, growers use an array of science-based tools that help conserve irrigation water and practice integrated pest management (IPM) to control pests. Meanwhile, winemakers use other tools to continue to produce some of the highest quality wines in the world.

Research is a growing focus of Washington State Wine, the research and marketing arm for the state’s grape growers and wineries. Nearly a quarter of the state wine agency’s $5 million budget will be spent on viticulture and enology research in 2016, including its pledge to fund a portion of the construction of the new wine science facility at the Washington State University Tri-Cities campus.

The state’s wine industry significantly stepped up its research commitment when it dedicated $7.4 million to help build the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center. The $23 million facility, with classrooms, laboratories and research winery, is outfitted with some of the most technologically advanced equipment available.

The sizable industry investment, paid through assessments from the state’s grape growers and vintners, is a major component of the industry’s efforts to build a world-class research program.

But developing a world-class research program takes more than a state-of-the-art building. It takes vision and strategic planning.

Strategic planning 

A broad group of Washington growers, winemakers and industry representatives provided input to help develop a strategic research plan for Washington State Wine. The planning process took more than two years. The plan identified, among many things, the need to expand and elevate the research program so that the industry is aware of research successes, and how that research can benefit them and is supportive of future efforts.

I was hired in November — the first research program manager for Washington State Wine — to implement the strategic research plan.

Washington’s wine industry has grown rapidly in the past 20 years. The industry comprises an estimated 50,000 acres of wine grapes, nearly 900 wineries, and produces in excess of 16 million cases of wine annually. The most recent economic impact study, conducted for Washington State Wine last year, reported $4.8 billion in total economic impact.

As a fruit crop, wine grapes are third in value behind apples and cherries.