Conditions ripe as Oregon wine growers ramp up grape harvest

Sep 7, 2014

(OregonLive) - Oregon's Dundee Hills suffered from late rains last year that impacted the quality of wine in one of Oregon's most productive regions.

Not this year.

Vintners in the Willamette Valley say the conditions have so far been perfect, and early September has given white-grape growers a chance to start harvesting early.

The first picking of the state's famous pinot noir grapes isn't far behind, the Statesman Journal reported.

Stoller Family Estate vineyard manager Robert Schultz says Oregon's hot summer and the mild conditions for ambient yeast on the grapes themselves combined to forecast a strong early harvest.

"This year is remarkable for its earliness, perfect conditions at bloom and increased heat accumulation," Schultz said, adding that this year's crop is "bigger and riper earlier than last year."

Melissa Burr, who is celebrating her 12th vintage at Stoller, is also enthusiastic about this harvest. "We have a healthy and heavy fruit set across the entire vineyard. The vineyard flowered in a compressed period of time, which leads me to think that harvest will also be compressed, and we are ready," Burr said.

Schultz said harvest should be done at Stoller by mid-October.

At Sokol Blosser and other Willamette Valley vineyards, the vineyard has begun harvesting grapes for its sparkling wine offerings.


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