Impacts of Climate Change in Washington
Dr. Mercy Olmstead, Extension Viticulture Specialist, WSU-IAREC
For most growers this year (2008), the weather did not cooperate with most growers falling behind in overall vine growth from 1 to 4 weeks. East of the Cascade Mountains, most varieties caught up with short bouts of warm weather in late September and fair weather in October. That is not to say, however that there may be some varieties still on the vines, waiting for that last breadth of sunshine.
A recent article (September 15, 2008) in Wine Press Northwest covers the impact of climate change and some of the sometimes subtle changes that are going on in the Pacific Northwest and affecting vineyard management. Although some growers are harvesting 1-2 weeks earlier than they did 25 years ago, when I have spoken with growers, many say that with the year-to-year variability, it’s often difficult to see the increasing trend in temperatures. Vineyard production practices such as variety selection, cane burial for winter protection, and rootstock selection (or choosing own-rooted material) are all examples of practices that have been implemented or deleted in the overall management plan as a result of climate change.
In a recent video interview of Dr. Greg Jones, a professor at Southern Oregon University talks of how various wine regions around the world have been impacted by climate change (November 4, 2008; Wine Press Northwest; also see below). Interestingly, he mentions the Puget Sound Region as being similar to the Willamette Valley 30-40 years ago.
Greg Jones on the Changing Climate of the Pacific Northwest Region.
Certainly, climate change is affecting the more Northern regions of the world than the Southern regions, and with our close proximity to the famous latitudes of premium grape growing regions in Europe, we will all have to make changes. Just how big those changes will be remain to be seen. If only there was a way to see into the future…
According to the Washington Wine Commission, the state's wine industry provides about 14,000 full-time jobs and contributes more than $3 billion annually to the state's economy. In 2006, more than seven million cases of wine were made in Washington, worth about $685 million in retail sales. Currently, there are over 540 wineries in the state, with increased expansion driving the planting of new vineyard acres.
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