Wine Trivia

Perfect Climate for Growing Grapes in Eastern Washington

The Weather:


• Sun - Great wine grapes need sun to aid in the production of sugars (via photosynthesis), color development and heat accumulation for overall physiological ripening. How much sun does Eastern Washington receive?
  
• While the growing season is slightly shorter from beginning to end than more southerly wine regions, the number of sun hours received in Eastern Washington is equal due to incredibly long days at such a high latitude - receiving up to 17 and a half hours of sun each day.
  
• There are NO clouds 300 days of year.
  
• There is high light intensity due the northern hemisphere's closer proximity to the sun.
  
• The angle of the sun is similar to the great wine regions of Northern Europe, as they share similar latitudes.
  
  
  Dry Growing Season - Eastern Washington is one of the highest latitude wine regions in the world. Similar areas elsewhere tend to be on the cusp of cool, rainy weather in the spring and fall, making viticulture difficult - especially at sensitive times like harvest. Eastern Washington is dry enough to be categorized as a Continental Semi-Desert. Why?
  
• The majestic north south running Olympic and Cascade Mountain ranges in the Western portion of the state combine to stop the clouds rolling in off of the Pacific Ocean - known as a Rain Shadow Effect. Eastern Washington is the highest latitude wine region to experience this phenomenon in the New World (read: not Europe).
  
• Only 7 to 12 inches rain fall in Eastern Washington.
  
• Common vineyard fungal disease such as oidium (powdery mildew), peronosperal (downy mildew) and grey/black rot require a humid environment. Due to its arid climate, Eastern Washington is remarkably fungus free; as a result, very few chemical based anti-fungicides are required, leading to sustainable vineyard practices that leave vibrant, healthy, lively soils and water sources.
  
  Water - Eastern Washington has the good fortune of having incredible water sources to rely on for irrigation in such an arid region. This allows absolute control as to when the vine is given moisture and how much is given, which contributes to grape ripeness, lack of sugar dilution, canopy management and dehydration controls at vital moments during its growth.
• Mountain Rivers: The Columbia Basin benefits from snow melt runoff. The massive Columbia River in Eastern Washington is the most obvious example, combining the Cascades, Rockies and Blue Mountains runoff to the 15th largest river in the United States at 1,214 miles in length.
  
• Underground aquifers run through levels of basalt lava flow, and can be tapped via wells for water reservoirs. World class, technologically controlled/timed irrigation systems are utilized to influence the growth of many vineyards.
  
• Drip irrigation is most common, but some overhead spray irrigation also exists.
  
  
  Daytime Air and Soil Temperature - Consistently warm daytime air and soil temperatures during the growing season are critical to producing the grape varieties that Washington State specializes in, helping with the physiological ripening - including skin color, skin and pulp texture, seed color and texture, tannins and other flavor compounds. Cold (though not freezing) during the winter months are ideal for vine dormancy, allowing the plant to rest and restore.
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• Average daytime high vineyard air temperatures for June 1 to October 15: 78 degrees Fahrenheit. During the all important August/September months, that climbs slightly higher to 84 degrees Fahrenheit.
  
• Average daytime high temperatures for December 1 to March 1: 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In addition to allowing proper dormancy, these cold winter temperatures kill many vineyard disease carrying pests such as phylloxera, moths, mites and nematodes. This makes Washington vineyards remarkably pest free. As a result, very few chemical based pesticides are required, leading to sustainable vineyard practices that leave vibrant, healthy, lively soils and water sources.
  
  
  Diurnal Shift: Day to Night Temperature Variability - One of the greatest natural phenomena for growing grapes which end up balanced between ripe sugars (which will equate to alcohol in the wine) and crisp acidity is a difference between day time and night time temperatures - or, diurnal shift. Washington State has some of the most dramatic fluctuations of any wine region in the world.
  
• There is up to 40º F difference between high day and low night time temps!!
  
• Malic Acids generally dissipate through perspiration from the grape in constant warm temperatures. Cool evenings preserve the acid, which translate through fermentation to wine and adds freshness and balance.
  
• Resultant acid in the wines is natural - and seems a bit more integrated than than the types added in the winery.
  
  
  Different Microclimates - Eastern Washington has 8 separate AVA's covering over 29,000 acres of vineyard land varying from 100 feet above sea level to 1000 above sea level with all degrees of aspect to the sun.
  
• There are cool sites, warm sites, wetter sites, windy sites, hilly sites, flat sites…all providing different ripening cycles and styles of wine.
  
  
  Vital Challenges
• Winter Freeze: Eastern Washington faces sustained winter freezes low enough to kill vines to the ground once every 7 years or so. Methods such as layering (planting a living vine below the ground level for protection) are employed to combat this problem.
  
• Global Warming: A fact of life starting in the late 1990's, this trend looks to continue, challenging existing warmer site areas to practice different canopy training methods, clonal selection and water management. Being in such intense sun, grapes face sun burn in increasingly warmer temperatures - also controlled by canopy training. Alternative, cooler growing sites are also being explored (whether due to latitude, altitude or aspect).
  
  
  The Earth:
  
  Good (Bad) Dirt - Vines are somewhat choosy about their soils. A combination of lack of nitrogen, strong drainage and healthy organic nutrient matter is a consensus perfect dirt. It may be "bad" for growing almost anything else, but it is "good" for the vine.
  
• Various Soil Types: A combination of mostly sandy, rocky based alluvial (meaning carried by water), some windblown over periodic volcanic basalt lift and patches of clay. Types include loess, basalt, clay, silt, loam, sandy loam.
  
• Ancient Ice Age Floods: Imagine a 300 foot wall of water gushing at up to 80 miles an hour - 10 times the strength of all the world's rivers combined - from a glacial lake just north of Washington/Idaho southwest to the Pacific Ocean. More than 50 times over 2,000 years. It happened here 15,000 years ago! That is what a vast portion of Eastern Washington is - a dried up river bottom.
  
• Poor Nitrogen Content: In these types of soils, there is a lack of nitrogen, making vines work harder to send other nutrients to the grapes and spending less energy on the foliage.
  
• Excellent Drainage: Grape vines don't do well with wet roots. Sandy/rocky soils drain water further into the earth. Roots dig deep to find it, working harder still.
  
• Phylloxera Hates Sand: The vine killing aphid, Phylloxera (officially known as DactylasphaeraVitifoliae), cannot travel in sandy soils to reproduce, leaving Washington remarkably free of this global scourge vineyard pest.
  
• Excellent Aspect - To take advantage of the sun exposure in the Northern hemisphere, vineyard managers plant on the slopes of the foothills of basaltic uplifts that form mini-mountain ranges on (generally) East-West axis. Naturally, this also adds to the drainage capabilities for the odd storm in the Columbia Valley.
  
  
  
  

  More Wine Trivia

  
  
• The Irish believe that fairies are extremely fond of good wine. The proof of the assertion is that in the olden days royalty would leave a keg of wine out for them at night. Sure enough, it was always gone in the morning. - Irish Folklore
• There are about 400 species of oak, though only about 20 are used in making oak barrels. Of the trees that are used, only 5% is suitable for making high grade wine barrels. The average age of a French oak tree harvested for use in wine barrels is 170 years! 1 grape cluster = 1 glass
  75 grapes = 1 cluster
  4 clusters = 1 bottle
  40 clusters = 1 vine
  1 vine = 10 bottles
  1200 clusters = 1 barrel
  1 barrel = 60 gallons
  60 gallons = 25 cases
  30 vines = 1 barrel
  400 vines = 1 acre
  1 acre = 5 tons
  5 tons = 332 cases
• The bill for a celebration party for the 55 drafters of the US Constitution was for 54 bottles of Madeira, 60 bottles of claret, 8 bottles of whiskey, 22 bottles of port, 8 bottles of hard cider, 12 beers and seven bowls of alcohol punch large enough that "ducks could swim in them."
• Foot treading of grapes is still used in producing a small quantity of the best port wines.
• What is the ideal temperature for wine?
  Whites: chilled (45-55 degrees F) for a few hours in the refrigerator.
  Reds: slightly cooler than room temperature (about 65 degrees); Younger fruity reds benefit from chilling.
  Sparkling Wine: thoroughly chilled; refrigerate several hours or the night before serving.
  Dessert Wine: room temperature.
• Chilling tones down the sweetness of wine. If a red wine becomes too warm, it may lose some of its fruity flavor.
• Should I ever use a decanter for my wines?
  A decanter is used mainly to remove sediment from older red wines. Also, it can be used to open up young red wines. Otherwise, wine will “breathe” enough in your glass and decanting is not necessary.
• Why should I swirl wine in my glass before I drink it?
  By swirling your wine, oxygen is invited into the glass, which allows the aromas to escape.