Washington Wine Commission: Washington State’s wine research program continues to grow, benefit wineries of every size

Washington state is on the cutting edge of viticulture and enology research. Now in its third year, the Washington State Wine Commission’s dedicated research program is one of a handful in the nation that represents the state’s wine industry as a whole.

Every single wine grape grower and winemaker in the state not only has a say on research priorities, but also has access to the results of important research projects dedicated wholly to Washington vineyards and wineries.

Funded almost entirely by industry-paid assessments based on grape and wine sales, the Wine Commission represents all wine grape growers and wineries in the state. Its mission is to raise positive awareness and demand for Washington state wine through marketing and education, while supporting viticulture and enology research to drive industry growth.

My objective as the wine industry’s research program manager in the first year was to lay a solid foundation and implement strategic communications to raise industry awareness about the value of research to growers and winemakers. In the second year, my emphasis was to increase industry engagement in the research program.

A major marker of success was the nearly doubled attendance at the second annual WAVE (Washington Advancements in Viticulture and Enology) research seminar. Sponsored by the Wine Commission and Washington State University, the seminar has quickly become the Washington wine industry’s signature research event.

The research symposium was so popular that a condensed version—WAVEx—was begun last year, with WAVEx seminars held in Walla Walla and Woodinville.

This year, three WAVEx events will be held — in Richland March 15, Lake Chelan March 30 and Woodinville July 11. A full-day WAVE is scheduled April 4 at the Clore Center in Prosser.

Industry participation also increased in last years’ second comprehensive industry survey by more than 10 percent over 2016. The survey was administered by the Wine Commission to seek input for research priorities.

The Wine Commission used editorial outreach to help share outcomes from industry-supported research and invited growers and winemakers to hear firsthand from researchers presenting reports and pitching new proposals during the annual Washington State Wine Research Review. The Wine Research Advisory Committee, a subcommittee of the Wine Commission that serves as the industry scientific review arm for research, also expanded its membership in 2017.

To share the outcomes of important research projects with the state’s growers and wineries, all media are used, including editorial content in trade publications, a new quarterly newsletter called the WAVE Report, and a weekly “WAVE Minute” radio program on 560/KPQ and 610/KONA that features interviews with scientists.

New in 2018 is a series of videos that trace the history of Washington’s premium wine industry, from its roots with Dr. Walter Clore, a WSU scientist who laid the foundation more than 80 years ago for viticulture and enology research, to the innovative techniques used by today’s growers and winemakers.

The videos depict scientists working in research vineyards at WSU’s Prosser research station, the crush of research project grapes at WSU’s Wine Science Center, and highlight the recent growth of the wine industry and recognition of Washington’s high-quality wine.

The wine industry’s research program is guided by well-defined goals and objectives in a strategic research plan, a report developed for the Wine Commission with broad industry involvement.

The plan will be the roadmap for the research program for years to come. The overarching goal is to provide science-based tools so that every winemaker can make better wine and every grower can grow better grapes, continuously improving and making Washington state a leader in the world of wine.

Last year, the statewide grape and wine research program provided research grants totaling more than $1 million. The program is funded by a unique blend of public and private monies, including the Auction of Washington Wines, Washington State University, and state taxes collected on all wines sold in Washington.

The Wine Commission commits nearly 25 percent of its annual $6 million budget to research, which includes the industry’s repayment of its $7.4 million pledge to help build the Wine Science Center.

The future is bright for Washington State Wine’s research program, as growers and wine grape growers continue on their quest to make the best wine in the world.

This story was originally published April 1, 2018 at 6:11 PM with the headline "Washington Wine Commission: Washington State’s wine research program continues to grow, benefit wineries of every size."