Ore. vintners: 2008 a very good year

PORTLAND, Ore.—A cool spring and a dry autumn have Oregon winemakers thinking this year's harvest may produce superb wines, possibly one of the better vintages of the decade for the state's $1 billion wine industry.

Frosts and late rains often dictate when grapes must be harvested, but winemakers say weather this year allowed them to pick the grapes at their peak.

Oregon's 1999 vintage is considered one of Oregon's best. It was helped by almost no autumn rain and cool, constant temperatures.

The state's wine-growing regions had similar conditions this year.

Late October is a crucial time for Oregon's commercial wine industry.

Frost or heavy rains at harvest can relegate an entire season to the also-ran category, driving down winery revenues and denting the state's reputation as a producer of good wine.

That's where 2008 seemed to be headed during the spring. But meager autumn rains and cool daytime temperatures turned it all around.

Because of the relatively little rain in the fall, vineyards got to pick when they wanted to, The Oregonian reports.

And the cool daytime temperatures kept sugar levels from jumping too high, giving grapes time for a full development of flavors and overall balance.

"It's an outstanding vintage," said Luisa Ponzi, winemaker at Ponzi Vineyards in Beaverton. "I haven't seen a vintage like this since 1999."

At Cathedral Ridge Winery in Hood River, the crush pad was kept busy into the weekend with load after load of freshly plucked clusters.

"We started out slow here, but the yields have been huge and everything survived," spokeswoman Sue Farro said. "There are so many grapes here now that I'm munching on them for lunch every day."

Yamhill County is the state's top wine producer, with 11,910 tons in 2007, twice the harvest of runner-up Polk County.