Those bone-chilling January temperatures, where the mercury plummeted to minus 10 and 20-plus degrees below zero in Eastern Washington, may have taken its toll on the state’s vineyards, but at surprisingly lower elevations.

Vineyard owners and managers could only speculate after the freeze, but with recent spring pruning and closer inspection of the vines, damage is evident in Walla Walla, Tri Cities, Red Mountain and small pockets in the Yakima Valley.

“We’re preparing for about a 15 percent loss,” said Stacie Jacob, spokesperson for the Washington Wine Commission.

Funding for the promotion budget of the Wine Commission is based on grape and winery assessment each year. The current crop assessment is based on reports provided to the Wine Commission.

Although Jacob admits the state will see a lighter crop load for 2004, she said the state’s vineyards are in better shape with this freeze, than in 1996, when fewer vineyards and wineries were forced to absorb more damage. Since 1996, the state’s wine industry has doubled, with more vineyards and more wineries scattered throughout the state.

Canoe Ridge Vineyard during the worst of the weather

Washington’s $2.4 billion wine industry is made up of more than 240 wineries, 300 wine grape growers and 29,000 vineyard acres. Jacob said although some small vineyards will lose a high percent of their crop this year, the majority of vineyards were undamaged.

“It’s Mother Nature and farming, and each time it occurs, we learn how important it is to diversify our grape crops,” Jacob said. “This is a risk we have to face. It will cause wineries to think about this business in the long term, diversifying, and looking hard at their long-term business plan.”

Some vineyards reported little to no damage from the January artic blast. But areas such as Walla Walla were hit hard. Rick Small, owner of Woodward Canyon, said his estate vineyards sustained some damage, but he thinks he will ultimately end up with a slightly less crop load.

“I think we’ll be OK,” Small said. “The damage was widely varied. Ironically, the vineyards with the highest elevation seemed to sustain less damage that those on the valley floors, where the freeze lingered.”

Grape Supply to be Down in 2004

Dick Boushey, owner of vineyards just north of Grandview and Prosser in the middle of the Yakima Valley, said he is dreading the phone calls he must make to small wineries relying on his crops for wine production.

“My Merlot was hurt the most,” Boushey said. “Merlot in my lower elevation blocks, at 700-800 feet, suffered the most. At 1,200 feet, the Merlot will be fine. But it’s painful and awkward to make the phone calls to those who were counting on that fruit.

“It’s hard because I know those small wineries will be hard-pressed to find new sources of fruit. I just hate these years when it freezes. All I’ve said is not to count on too much. I am not a big grower, but I have people counting on me.”

Dean Morrison, who owns 23 acres of vines in the Walla Walla area said he would like to be optimistic, but fears he will lose most of his crop this year. Trey Busch, winemaker for Basel Cellars in Walla Walla, said he is seeing substantial damage in his estate vineyards.

However, Mike Sauer, vineyard manager/owner of Red Willow Vineyard (and principal source of grapes for Columbia’s Red Willow Syrah) said he believes he will bring in 100 percent of his crops. His vineyard is located in the Yakima Valley.

“It’s odd how it hit us—five miles away, it was several degrees colder, and that was enough to hit crops much harder,” Sauer said.

Todd Cameron, vineyard manager for Sagemoor Vineyards (with 800 acres in production near Pasco), termed the January weather a “classic winter freeze.”

“There was no wind, so the freeze settled in the lowest spots and sat there, while other areas in our vineyards showed a heartier response to the weather,” Cameron said. “Although I think it is still too early to know how we will come out, I have rows of vines where I know I will have nothing, and rows that will come back at least 80 percent.”

Cameron said a winter freeze will teach winemakers and vineyard managers where not to plant less-hearty varietals that are susceptible to the cold, such as Merlot, some Syrah and white varietals such as Semillon.

Pete Hedges, winemaker for Hedges Cellars, located on Red Mountain between Benton City and Richland, said his Merlot will be down about 20 to 30 percent, but estimates overall, the winery will see about 80 percent of its normal crop.

“We also buy from others, so overall, we’re optimistic that this won’t have much of an impact,” Hedges said. “The truth is most of us won’t know the exact extent of the damage until harvest.”

Dick Boushey, who supplies grapes to such premium winemakers such as McCrea Cellars, said he hopes grape growers won’t try to make up their losses by charging more for their grapes.

“The competition in the market place is tough, and I honestly hope most of the grape growers don’t try to make up their loss by charging higher prices,” Boushey said. “I don’t think the market can bear the price increase for the loss, if we are to stay competitive.

“This is the perfect time to avoid raising prices. Rather, go for long-term commitments from the wineries. We will have excellent wines made from these grapes—Mother Nature reduced the crops—we just won’t have as much from 2004.”

Below, Walla Walla area vineyard workers chopping vines to the ground

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