
2010 was a challenging year for growers and winemakers alike in Washington (read harvest reports here). The weather was the coolest it had been in more than ten years (little did anyone know then that 2011 would be cooler). This provided for conditions that many of Washington’s recently minted growers and winemakers had never seen.
The cool - and at times wet - conditions led to botrytis issues in some areas, even on red grapes like Syrah, which, again, was something previously unseen. The order that different varieties normally ripen and are picked was thrown askew. Hands were wrung and brows were furrowed across the state.