Challenging the status quo will lead to healthier grapes and vines with research underway in Washington.
More than $1M in wine and vineyard research grants were awarded by the Washington State Wine Commission (WSWC). The research projects chosen target challenges that directly impact Washington wine grape growers and winemakers.
Research supported by the Washington wine industry is developing timing, frequency and canopy management strategies to improve efficacy of UV-C light technology to control powdery mildew.
The WSWC Board of Directors approved 17 projects totalling approximately $1.07M for the upcoming fiscal year (July 2024-June 2025). For the last eight years, the annual research grants have averaged about $1M and provided a stable funding base for the continuity of multi-year research projects.
A major focus of the research is to improve sustainable vineyard management strategies for weeds, soil health, pests and diseases, and irrigation. Last year, the Washington wine industry launched Sustainable WA, a statewide certification program developed specifically for Washington. Already, about one-third of the state's wine grape acreage has been certified under the program. Sustainable research topics under study include confusing the mating of grape mealybug insects with sex pheromones, developing integrated weed management strategies, evaluating nematode-resistant rootstocks and using cover crops to trap and/or repel nematodes, controlling grape powdery mildew with ultraviolet light in combination with canopy management, and measuring the effects of viticultural practices on long-term soil health.
A new viticulture topic to be studied is how to optimize late-season irrigation to prepare vines for winter and develop best-practice recommendations for Washington wine grape growers. A better understanding is needed of the impact, if any, of late-season irrigation on vine cold acclimation.
Innovative winery research projects include a phenolic prediction tool for fermenting and finished red wines to make wine analysis faster and easier and reevaluate concentrations of molecular sulphur dioxide needed to inhibit bacteria and yeast in red and white wines. Washington State University (WSU) scientists continue to search for tools to mitigate the impacts on wine from frozen leaf material and wildfire smoke exposure.
Also, collaborative work of research teams from WSU and the University of California, Davis, who are working to advance the understanding of condensed tannins, is funded through the WSWC's research grant program. The goal of this project is to develop a novel approach to analyse tannins in wine.
The WSWC's Board annually allocates funding for the statewide grape and wine research program that is administered by WSU and its own research grant program. Support for the statewide research grant program comes from the public, private and industry sources of the WSWC, Auction of Washington Wines, WSU's Agriculture Research Center, and state wine liter taxes (1/4 cent per litre of all wine sold). The WSWC administers its own competitive grant program to support short-term, demonstration trials and other research beyond state borders that complements studies by WSU scientists.
Details about the research program and 2024/2025 projects can be found on the WSWC website at washintongwine.org.