Pic of the Vine - May 2017

Signs of a glorious spring in Washington wine country abound. Buds have broken throughout the state; al fresco sipping sites increase daily; and resident photographer Richard Duval is on the road.

“While shadowing the recent Masters of Wine tour through the heart of the heart Washington wine community, I caught this spring activity at Canyon Vineyard Ranch owned by Precept Wine,” he said. “Tractors amongst the rows and hills of this great vineyard made for near perfect photos of the bustle of spring.”

Bloom in eastern Washington

Bloom is beginning in eastern Washington's vineyards. Sagemoor Vineyards reports bloom in their Chardonnay, pictured at left, on May 27th. This same block had bloom on May 5th in 2016 (which had an extremely warm start); May 14th in 2015 (a warm year); May 20th in 2013 (also a warm year); and June 7th in 2012 (a year that tracked to 20 year averages for heat accumulation). See a graph of current Growing Degree Days, a measure of heat accumulation, from Washington State University here.

Click on the picture, which is provided courtesy of Sagemoor Vineyards, to see a larger image.