Washington Wine Commission: Providing research access for Washington’s wine industry

The Washington State Wine Commission celebrates 30 years in 2017. Much credit goes to the industry visionaries who brought both growers and wineries together under a statewide marketing board and dreamed of possibilities for the young wine industry. But even the originators would likely be surprised at the industry’s explosive growth of more than 5 percent annual compound growth rate and more than 50,000 acres and 900 wineries, widespread acclaim for superior wines and the amplified focus on viticulture and enology research.

The wine industry pioneers recognized three decades ago that more than marketing and promotion would be needed to grow the burgeoning industry and secure its future. From the beginning, research was included in the Wine Commission’s enabling legislation, a move that has provided invaluable return on the research investment. Examples of industry-supported, game-changing viticulture and enology research outcomes include 80 percent reduction in pesticide usage, up to 50 percent savings in water on red wine grapes and wine quality improvement. Even more, the research directive helped develop a partnership between the wine industry, the Wine Commission and Washington State University, a partnership strengthened with the Wine Commission’s amped up research program now in its second year.

The Wine Commission and WSU share the vision of creating a world-class wine research program. The industry and WSU worked together to build the new wine science center at WSU Tri-Cities in Richland, a facility made possible by the state’s growers and wineries’ $7.4 million commitment to help construct the $23 million facility. Additionally, the Wine Commission provides more than $200,000 annually to fund viticulture and enology research. Almost 25 percent of the Wine Commission’s $5 million annual budget is spent on research, including the wine science center repayment.

The wine industry’s research program essentially provides each grower and winery with access to research and development, something that most small wineries or growers are ill-equipped to fund or operate. This R & D involves industry-wide effort to set research priorities and combines it with synergy of creative researchers and academics to solve pest and disease problems and more. In the past, communication was missing from the industry’s research program. Thus, as research program manager for the Wine Commission, one of my tasks is to make sure all growers and wineries are aware of current research and know how to access it.

In 2017, our research program goals are to increase industry involvement with research, further elevate the awareness and value of research and involve a broad base of industry members to develop short and long-term research objectives needed to leverage industry support into federal grant awards.

We’ve created multiple opportunities for wineries and growers to access research. The research-focused seminar WAVE (Washington Advancements in Viticulture and Enology), launched last year to highlight current work by WSU scientists, was a sell-out success and is now an annual event. WAVE 2017 is scheduled for April 19 at the Walter Clore Center in Prosser.

Industry members can also attend the annual Research Review (held in January) that features reports and proposals presented to the Wine Research Advisory Committee as part of the competitive grant research program.

The Wine Commission’s website was redesigned to include an archive of research reports and news to make access easy. Additionally, the Wine Commission’s digital newsletter includes research information each month.

The founders of the Wine Commission knew research and development would help solve vineyard and winery challenges and emerging threats. But 30 years later, the ultimate research aim is to provide tools specific to Washington state to help our growers and wineries produce the best wines in the world.

This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Washington Wine Commission: Providing research access for Washington’s wine industry."